Wu Xiaozhen's new heart not only gave her a new lease on life, but also a new personality.

Wu Xiaozhen (second from right) poses for a family portrait.

Since the heart of a 23-year-old man was transplanted into her body two years ago, this 52-year-old Shanghai resident and former introvert has discovered an interest in driving cars, buying and selling stocks, surfing on the Internet and even drinking alcohol.

With her ruddy complexion, bright eyes and black hair, plus her sunny disposition, no one now believes Wu is in her 50s.

Wu was suffering from heart disease when she suddenly fell ill during a trip to Shenyang with her husband in May of 2005. She was immediately sent to Shenzhou Hospital for emergency treatment. Doctors decided to carry out a heart transplantation.

During a six-hour surgery, a heart from a 23-year-old man was successfully transplanted into Wu's body.

The surgery was conducted by a 36-person medical team headed by the surgeon Guo Bingxiong. Guo said Wu would have died if she had not received a new heart in time.

Wu spent 33 days in hospital and eventually returned to Shanghai.

"The surgery was a success. I didn't feel much pain when I woke up in the hospital," Wu said.

She added that she felt more powerful with her new heart.

Her son also noticed the difference.

"My mother is becoming younger and younger, and my father is starting to worry that he might not be able to keep up with her," he said.

The son said his mother used to do all the housework, but now his father handles most of it.

"My mother is crazy about surfing the Internet. She has also started trading in the stock market and has earned some money," Wu's son told the Shenyang Evening News late last week.

Wu's husband, Xu Jinhua, said sometimes he feels like he no longer knows his wife.

Xu said Wu used to enjoy quietly reading at home, but now she likes driving cars.

"Wu never touched computers in the past, let alone surfed the Internet. But now she has learned computer and network science without a teacher," the newspaper quoted Xu as saying.

And Wu never touched alcohol before, but now she has an enormous capacity for strong drinks, Xu said.

During their granddaughter's birthday banquet early this month, Wu drank numerous toasts with relatives and friends, surprising many of the guests and Xu himself.

"Now when I see a bottle of wine, I want to drink it. I have a hard time controlling myself," Wu said.

Scientists have said the heart is more than just a pump. Research has suggested that a heart could have a kind of memory.

This might explain why Wu seemed like a different person after her heart transplantation.

Scientists have said 10 percent of heart transplantation recipients change after their surgeries.

Guo said the first heart transplantation was carried out in 1960. Between 85 and 90 percent of the patients live for more than a year after undergoing heart transplantation surgery. And 70 to 80 percent live for five years, while more than 50 percent live for as long as a decade.

Less than 200 heart transplantation surgeries have been carried out in China, Guo said.

Guo's hospital has conducted three such surgeries. The other two patients died.

(China Daily May 31, 2007)