University of Pittsburgh Medical Center surgeons successfully performed the first beating heart transplant in the United States, the health system announced today.

The surgery was done April 8 on Richard Jackson, 47, of Portage, Cambria County, who had congestive heart failure. He was released from the hospital on April 30. The donated heart, which came from a 46-year-old man, was kept beating outside the body for almost 3 hours by a machine that is being tested in clinical trials.

Where is Edgar Allen Poe when we need him? Is this the beating of the ‘hideous heart’? Actually I dont think so since it will help preserve fragile hearts and save lives. But if you wanted a candidate of the year to pin the needle on the yuk factor scale this is my choice.

– Art Caplan