The picture shows Zbigniew Relig after a 23-hour heart transplant operation, Poland, 1987.
Zbigniew Religa was a very good cardiac surgeon, this was confirmed not only by his patients, but also by colleagues, calling him a “doctor from God.”
In 1987, he received a “serious” patient who needed a heart transplant.
At that time, no one in Poland undertook such operations, no one except Zbigniew.
The patient’s condition was extremely severe and his chances were not high.
But Dr. Religa did not give up on him and performed a very complicated operation that lasted 23 hours.
And after its completion, he watched the monitor and the patient’s indicators for a long time to control the work of vital organs.
The young doctor’s assistant was sleeping in a corner right on the floor.
The doctor released the rest of the team to rest.
And Zbigniew sat there until he was completely convinced that the new heart was working as it should.
The doctor died 22 years after this photo was taken, in 2009.
His patient survived his savior.
And one day he was captured by National Geographic photographers with the same historical photo after the operation.
The photo became famous — and entered the TOP 100 best photos in the world.
