Dr. Michael DeBakey 1908-2008
Dr DeBakey considered to be the single greatest contributor to cardiovascular surgery. And a major contributor to surgery in general.
Some things you might have heard about:
Heart-Lung machine- DeBakey's roller pump mimics the heart's pulse wave. It was crucial to the HLM which replaces the heart and lungs during surgery. This was developed in his final year of med school
LVAD- Left Ventricle Assist Device
Artificial heart- led a team of Rice University engineers and had developed a prototype by 1968
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital- Aka the Veteran Affairs hospital system
National Library of Medicine
These are a few. The man contributed 50 different surgical instruments still used, he was the cornerstone for the Baylor College of Medicine. He has performed surgeries on Presidents (JFK, LBJ, Nixon and Bush the elder), kings (Duke of Windsor, Leopold of Belgium), the Shah of Iran, Boris Yeltsin, Mafia boss Sam Giacana. Rather than charge the rich and famous his personal fees, he solicited donations to his foundation. His foundation provides millions in research in the Texas Medical Center (and, specifically, to Baylor College of Medicine).
He was tough. Demanding. Brilliant.
He was also very involved. He performed a triple bypass on my grandmother in the early 1990s and, a few years later, when she was a perpetual patient in BCoM/The Methodist Hospital's Pulmonary Unit, he continued to check her progress and her heart performance.
His touch is felt far and wide. From the presidents of Medical Schools and Head Surgeons in some of the worlds' renowned hospitals to the high school named for him here in Houston to the non-famous, not-rich patients whose lives he saved and their families. He was an amazing man.
From Dr. DeBakey:
As physicians, we are invited into the most intimate chambers of our patients' lives. We should acknowledge that unfettered trust with dignity, deference and respect.
I still have an almost religious sense when I work on the heart. It is something god makes and we have yet to duplicate.
Maybe I should be more compassionate with people who do not think as fast as I can. I have little tolerance for incompetence, sloppy thinking and laziness.
His standard of excellence will be missed.
DMN, Wiki and Google Search links for those who haven't heard of him.
Some things you might have heard about:
Heart-Lung machine- DeBakey's roller pump mimics the heart's pulse wave. It was crucial to the HLM which replaces the heart and lungs during surgery. This was developed in his final year of med school
LVAD- Left Ventricle Assist Device
Artificial heart- led a team of Rice University engineers and had developed a prototype by 1968
Mobile Army Surgical Hospital- Aka the Veteran Affairs hospital system
National Library of Medicine
These are a few. The man contributed 50 different surgical instruments still used, he was the cornerstone for the Baylor College of Medicine. He has performed surgeries on Presidents (JFK, LBJ, Nixon and Bush the elder), kings (Duke of Windsor, Leopold of Belgium), the Shah of Iran, Boris Yeltsin, Mafia boss Sam Giacana. Rather than charge the rich and famous his personal fees, he solicited donations to his foundation. His foundation provides millions in research in the Texas Medical Center (and, specifically, to Baylor College of Medicine).
He was tough. Demanding. Brilliant.
He was also very involved. He performed a triple bypass on my grandmother in the early 1990s and, a few years later, when she was a perpetual patient in BCoM/The Methodist Hospital's Pulmonary Unit, he continued to check her progress and her heart performance.
His touch is felt far and wide. From the presidents of Medical Schools and Head Surgeons in some of the worlds' renowned hospitals to the high school named for him here in Houston to the non-famous, not-rich patients whose lives he saved and their families. He was an amazing man.
From Dr. DeBakey:
As physicians, we are invited into the most intimate chambers of our patients' lives. We should acknowledge that unfettered trust with dignity, deference and respect.
I still have an almost religious sense when I work on the heart. It is something god makes and we have yet to duplicate.
Maybe I should be more compassionate with people who do not think as fast as I can. I have little tolerance for incompetence, sloppy thinking and laziness.
His standard of excellence will be missed.
DMN, Wiki and Google Search links for those who haven't heard of him.