Surgeons trying to mend broken hearts is a recent phenomenon. Michael DeBakey was one of the pioneering surgeons in this field which till then was much reared and respected by the surgeons. The reason for the hesitation of the surgeons was the fact that the same scalpel which could save lives would bring the patients close to death With a fine understanding of the subject and a series of bold steps, the Texas surgeon opened up the hitherto forbidden territory leaving a string of surgical operations to mark the way.
When DeBakey entered the medical school, arterial aneurysms( deadly bulges on the arteries) and the occluded arteries were thought to be the signs of impending death. Undaunted, DeBakey improvised surgical techniques by replacing the diseased portion of the artery with a strong , healthy graft.
Soon he realized that for a lasting success, he had to depend not on cadaver arteries but a more durable and a better substitute. He and his team tried many synthetic materials. Fianally in 1953, a machine was designed to manufacture what DeBakey exactly wanted. A seamless, knit, Dacron tube was born. The body was found to adapt remarkably well to the artificial arteries. New tissue would encase the synthetic tube, building in effect, new arteries.
These Dacron grafts broadened the horizon of the vascular surgeries. DeBakey could replace Aortic Arches, give his patients new Abdominal Aortas, build Bypasses around hopelessly blocked arteries. He could bypass even the delicate coronary arteries. Whenever he could clear the coronary arteries, he used slips of the graft material to widen the arteries. He used these skills to ease the patients' suffering from narrowing of coronary arteries and carotid arteries (to help the stroke patients)..
Naturally he became one of the world's foremost vascular surgeons. He now focused on the needs of the heart itself. He knew that the heart needed rest to recover from radical surgery. He found a solution in 1966. He implanted a device into the chest of a woman whose weak heart was adjusting to 2 newly implanted valves. After 10 days, the heart became strong enough to take over and the pump was removed. This success convinced DeBakey to build the ultimate gadget of his dreams - the artificial heart. was a possibility. He decided to wait for some more time so that some more research could be done. Thus he was a pioneer in the field of Coronary artery bypass surgery, Carotid endarterectomy and Left Ventricular assist device.
He worked in close association with Denton Cooley. Due to a misunderstanding, they fell apart. DeBakey wanted to postpone the first implantation of the artificial heart scheduled for 4 April 1969 due to a speaking assignment in Texas. Unfortunately Denton Cooley went ahead without his authorization and performed the surgery. However, they reconciled in 2007 and DeBakey invited Cooley for his Gold Medal ceremony and induced him into the Michael E DeBakey international surgical society. -In 1987 then President Ronald Regan awarded him the Presidential Medal Of Science.
In 2005 at the age of 97, he developed aortic dissection. Though he initially refused, the surgical team prevailed upon him and operated. After a series of complications and a 8 month hospitalization, he fully recovered and was grateful to his team! He died on July 21 2008 of unspecified causes.
In his lifetime he set an example for perfection. He regularly put in 24 hour days and worked tirelessly. He deeply mourned whenever a patient died. He used to say "You never get over that. Never!".
One patient put it thus "The 2 days I was previleged to put my heart in your hands, I learned what Blake meant - For mercy has a human heart and pity a human face!".
When DeBakey entered the medical school, arterial aneurysms( deadly bulges on the arteries) and the occluded arteries were thought to be the signs of impending death. Undaunted, DeBakey improvised surgical techniques by replacing the diseased portion of the artery with a strong , healthy graft.
Soon he realized that for a lasting success, he had to depend not on cadaver arteries but a more durable and a better substitute. He and his team tried many synthetic materials. Fianally in 1953, a machine was designed to manufacture what DeBakey exactly wanted. A seamless, knit, Dacron tube was born. The body was found to adapt remarkably well to the artificial arteries. New tissue would encase the synthetic tube, building in effect, new arteries.
These Dacron grafts broadened the horizon of the vascular surgeries. DeBakey could replace Aortic Arches, give his patients new Abdominal Aortas, build Bypasses around hopelessly blocked arteries. He could bypass even the delicate coronary arteries. Whenever he could clear the coronary arteries, he used slips of the graft material to widen the arteries. He used these skills to ease the patients' suffering from narrowing of coronary arteries and carotid arteries (to help the stroke patients)..
Naturally he became one of the world's foremost vascular surgeons. He now focused on the needs of the heart itself. He knew that the heart needed rest to recover from radical surgery. He found a solution in 1966. He implanted a device into the chest of a woman whose weak heart was adjusting to 2 newly implanted valves. After 10 days, the heart became strong enough to take over and the pump was removed. This success convinced DeBakey to build the ultimate gadget of his dreams - the artificial heart. was a possibility. He decided to wait for some more time so that some more research could be done. Thus he was a pioneer in the field of Coronary artery bypass surgery, Carotid endarterectomy and Left Ventricular assist device.
He worked in close association with Denton Cooley. Due to a misunderstanding, they fell apart. DeBakey wanted to postpone the first implantation of the artificial heart scheduled for 4 April 1969 due to a speaking assignment in Texas. Unfortunately Denton Cooley went ahead without his authorization and performed the surgery. However, they reconciled in 2007 and DeBakey invited Cooley for his Gold Medal ceremony and induced him into the Michael E DeBakey international surgical society. -In 1987 then President Ronald Regan awarded him the Presidential Medal Of Science.
In 2005 at the age of 97, he developed aortic dissection. Though he initially refused, the surgical team prevailed upon him and operated. After a series of complications and a 8 month hospitalization, he fully recovered and was grateful to his team! He died on July 21 2008 of unspecified causes.
In his lifetime he set an example for perfection. He regularly put in 24 hour days and worked tirelessly. He deeply mourned whenever a patient died. He used to say "You never get over that. Never!".
One patient put it thus "The 2 days I was previleged to put my heart in your hands, I learned what Blake meant - For mercy has a human heart and pity a human face!".
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