Pillow Catches Fire During Heart Transplant in Australia

An Australian man undergoing heart transplant surgery in Brisbane's Prince Charles Hospital ended up with third-degree burns to his neck after his pillow caught fire during the operation.

Keith Cooper, 42, was reported recovering in an intensive care unit.

Dr. Andrew Galbraith said that as surgeons were removing a defibrillator from Cooper's shoulder, "the pillow the patient's head was on started to smoulder. The burns area is over 2 per cent of his body."

Galbraith said the transplant was completed successfully, and despite an intensive investigation, the hospital had failed to discover what caused the fire.

"We hated this to happen," said Galbraith. "It's having a very small impact on his recovery, we think. He's had grafts put on the burn and they've mainly taken very well. He's been out of bed today. He's definitely recovering."

Other Sources: The Age