July 29, 2025.- Dr. Benigno Ferreira Piña, graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Guadalajara (UAG), generation 2003, has been the protagonist of one of the most important milestones in the recent history of medicine in Jalisco: the first bipulmonary transplant conducted in the state, in December 2024.
Born in Guatemala, Dr. Ferreira is the head of the Minimum Invasion Cardiovascular Institute at the Puerta de Hierro Hospital, in addition to collaborating with other private health centers in Guadalajara.
His medical career has been marked by a constant search for knowledge, which led him to complete 9 years of postgraduate studies between Mexico and Germany, specializing in thoracic, minimally invasive surgery, transplants and advanced technologies such as ECMO and artificial hearts.
Clear vocation from the beginning
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From a young age, Dr. Ferreira was clear that he wanted to be a cardiac surgeon. That passion led him to explore the most complex areas of cardiovascular surgery.
His passage through Germany was decisive. “There I met technologies such as ventricular and ECMO assistance devices, which at that time did not yet exist in Mexico,” he says.
That knowledge, later, allowed him to head in Jalisco the first successful bipulmonary transplant, a procedure that required five years of preparation, the integration of a multidisciplinary team and additional training in Houston, Texas.
In addition to its surgical activity, Dr. Ferreira actively participates in the Saving Saving Lathers, a tapestry organization that provides medical care and cardiovascular and pulmonary health education to low -income people.
He also collaborated with the Civil Hospitals of Guadalajara for the development of the minimum invasion cardiac surgery program.
Proudly UAG
Although his birth was in Guatemala, his academic, secondary, preparatory and university training was held in Guadalajara, and especially in the UAG.
«I chose this university because my uncle, also a doctor, graduated from here and always spoke very well about her. I investigated and decided that it was the place where I wanted to study medicine, ”he says.
From its passage through the UAG with love, multicultural coexistence, companionship, and, above all, the academic demand.
«What marked me most was learning to work as a team. From the first semesters the group works were encouraged, something that remains key in my professional practice, ”he recalls.
True recognition is saving lives
His work has been recognized with prizes such as Top Doctor Award, although for him, the greatest distinction is to see his patients recover. “There is no greater satisfaction than seeing a complex patient to get ahead.”
For medicine students who aspire to a specialty, the doctor offers a clear advice.
«Read as crazy. Study a lot, devour books, be up to date. In medicine, if you don’t update yourself, you stay behind. And everything starts at the university, the bases are sown, ”he recommends.
Beyond his Bata Blanca, Dr. Ferreira has also cultivated personal passions such as cycling, swimming and music. It plays the electric guitar, has a rock band and set up a house studio where you record with your friends.
Three words that define it
Dedicated, resilient and passionate. This describes who went from studying in the UAG classrooms to save lives with high complexity procedures.
«In the university the decision is made to apply and from there the roads are drawn. You can’t pass it halfway and then aspire to the top. You have to make you want from the beginning, ”he concludes.
