**2. Conclusions**

The dramatic nature of the first heart transplant operation and the charismatic personality of the surgeon had enormous impact on the public throughout the world.

The early research of Shumway and Lower, the first human case by Barnard, the development of successful cold organ storage allowing long distance transport, and the refinement of immunosuppressant protocols, all culminated in the institution of the formal disciplines of cardiac transplant surgery and transplant cardiology and the formation of dedicated societies, which have truly pioneered the rapid expansion in this field.

These collective worldwide efforts achieved a better understanding of all heart transplant clinical details, which provided by time better and better outcomes. We do all have to profit of such lessons in order to offer 'success' to all our transplant patients particularly in terms of 'teamwork' strategy and clinical development as we have seen even historically.
