NIckGorton writes "The father of modern heart surgery died this week at age 99. He was integral to the development of pretty much everything in modern cardiovascular surgery: bypass (heart-lung machines that made open heart surgery for the first time possible possible), coronary artery bypass surgery (he did the first one ever), carotid endarterectomey (again he performed the first one ever), the development of Dacron graft blood vessels, and the development of MASH units. He was a consummate geek and there are numerous surgical instruments that bear his name. He was also the first surgeon to videotape surgeries — in the 1960s. He was considered by the NEJM to be the single greatest surgeon alive until two days ago. In his career he performed over 50,000 heart surgeries and practiced medicine (though not surgery) until the day he died. Paradoxically in 2005, he underwent the Debakey procedure which he pioneered, to treat the aortic dissection he suffered."
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