Christiaan Barnard was born in South Africa and trained as a doctor. In 1928, he became Professor of Surgery at the University of Cape Town, and he became internationally renowned as a surgeon for his pioneering work on the treatment of tuberculosis. He developed a radical new technique, by which the patient's blood was replaced with fresh blood from another person. Using this technique, Barnard and his colleagues were able to extend the lives of many patients with tuberculosis and prevent them from falling victim to the horrible disease
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The technique is still used today and is considered by many to be the single most important step forward in the treatment of tuberculosis since its discovery in 1882. Barnard also pioneered two other major medical advances: the kidney dialysis machine, which enabled patients to receive a continuous supply of clean blood from another person, and artificial heart valves. In 1985 he became the first person to receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his development of heart surgery.