Debakey, Dr. Michael E. 1908

HEART SURGEON

Pioneering Heart Surgeon.

During the 1960s tremendous advances were made in the area of cardiovascular surgery, and Dr. Michael E. DeBakey led many of them. His work in arterial grafting and replacement and in artificial-heart devices, along with subsequent developments for which he paved the way, has saved the lives of thousands of patients. He has also been a highly visible promoter of public service for the medical profession and a prolific scholar.

Education and Early Successes.

The son of a Lebanese immigrant who settled in Cajun territory to be with other French speakers, DeBakey grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and studied at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he received his M.D. He spent most of the 1930s occupied with his studies, internships, and residencies, but in 1932 he developed a pump that became a stepping-stone to the heart-lung machines later used in open-heart...

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