The human heart has long fascinated mankind. The notion that the heart is the source of all emotions can be traced to the ancient Greeks. The Romans further expounded on this the notion by claiming the heart seat of fidelity and love. The classic tradition of placing wedding bands on the third finger from the thumb is based on the belief that this finger vein is a mainline to the heart. Modern science has since proven many of these myths about the heart are false. Yet this vital organ still fascinates us. The study and science of diseases of the heart are called cardiology. While the men and women who specialize in treating heart ailments are known as cardiologists.
As modern science and medicine improved, so has the health maintenance of the human body. People are able to live longer, mainly due to our ability to better take care of our physical parts and even replace them if they fail entirely. The heart, being the main engine, never stops and it never rests. The never resting engine needs special care and attention for healthy and proper function. We did not always understand the importance of the heart and how it worked. Here is a brief history of important events and figures in cardiology and how we came to understand the heart and treat it.
Early on, he showed real genius. Before he had even obtained his M.S., DeBakey invented a special pump that is a vital part of the heart-lung machine, a machine that makes open-heart surgery possible by doing the job of the lungs and heart while surgery is being performed. He also devised a system for fixing aortas. Debakey was on the first surgeons to use what is known as the Dacron graft to repair and replace blood vessels.
80 years later, French biologist Raymond de Vieussens unveiled his revelations about the hearts mechanics. His detailed illustrations of the heart and its arteries are awe-inspiring in both artistic merit and fine detail. For the next 200 years the science of cardiology uncovered more about the heart's secrets. By the 18th century, physicians had learned a great deal more about our cardiovascular system. The science of monitoring blood pressure had emerged. The Reverend Stephen Hales discovery of blood pressure ushered in a new era. Soon a direct correlation between blood pressure and heart health was established.
Debakey continue to make advances in the field of cardiology and practice medicine right up until his death at the age of 99 in 2008. Two years prior to his death, the procedure that he had perfected in the 60's was used to save his life on December 31, 2005.
A true breakthrough in cardiology was made in 1938 when Robert E. Gross performed the first heart surgery. Gross, an American surgeon, was able to save the lives of infants and young children suffering from blue babies condition through surgery. Ten years later, Gross performed the first artery graft surgery, thereby making giant leaps in medicine.
In 1951, American surgeon Charles Hufnagel invented the first aplastic, artificial heart valve. This was another true miracle that gave a new lease on life to patients with heart valve failure. In 1952 at the University of Minnesota, C. Walton Lillehei and Dr. F. John Lewis, both American surgeons, performed the first successful open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. The following year in 1953, American surgeon John Heysham Gibbon Jr. used a mechanical heart and blood purifier machine to make heart surgery safer and more effective. Unfortunately, and quite ironically, Gibbon died of a heart attack.
During this time, he met Michael E DeBakey and they developed a way to remove aortic aneurysms. He performed bloodless surgeries for Jehovah's Witnesses during the 1960's. He and his team developed new artificial heart valves which helped to drop mortality rates for heart valve transplant surgery from 70% all the way to 8%.
A few short years later, induced hypothermia was being employed to slow the heart down enough to allow even more successful surgeries. In 1958 the first implantable pacemaker surgery was performed in Sweden. By 1967 the first coronary heart bypass surgery had been performed. This type of surgery has now become extremely common, it's estimated over several million coronary bypasses are performed each year. 1967 also was the year that the first successful heart transplant was performed in South Africa. Thanks to Dr. Christian Bernard's ingenuity.
Another miraculous breakthrough in cardiology and medicine was made in 1967 by a South African surgeon, Chrstiaan Neethling Barnard. Barnard was able to, for the first time in history, perform a whole human to human heart transplant. This gave new hope to patients with even end stage heart failures or extremely serious coronary artery diseases.
As we more boldly into the 21st-century, more medical marvels await us. Biotechnology already promises a future where designer organs can be grown to match a specific patient. This is a breakthrough that could greatly reduce the risk of transplant rejection. Modern cholesterol blockers greatly decrease the chance of heart attack and disease for millions of Americans. Today's cardiologist has access to a staggering amount of new medicines. These cutting edge pharmaceuticals can lower blood pressure, control heart rate, and promote general heart health. Someday, nearly invisible nano-machines may be able to perform surgery on individual body cells. This would allow them to repair hearts from the inside out.
Their work set the gold standard, and literally wrote the book on open-heart surgery. Because of their contribution to the field of cardiology, not only are the people that live and breathe because of them grateful, but future generations who will benefit from techniques pioneered by these men can be grateful too. The world will always owe them a debt of gratitude.
As modern science and medicine improved, so has the health maintenance of the human body. People are able to live longer, mainly due to our ability to better take care of our physical parts and even replace them if they fail entirely. The heart, being the main engine, never stops and it never rests. The never resting engine needs special care and attention for healthy and proper function. We did not always understand the importance of the heart and how it worked. Here is a brief history of important events and figures in cardiology and how we came to understand the heart and treat it.
Early on, he showed real genius. Before he had even obtained his M.S., DeBakey invented a special pump that is a vital part of the heart-lung machine, a machine that makes open-heart surgery possible by doing the job of the lungs and heart while surgery is being performed. He also devised a system for fixing aortas. Debakey was on the first surgeons to use what is known as the Dacron graft to repair and replace blood vessels.
80 years later, French biologist Raymond de Vieussens unveiled his revelations about the hearts mechanics. His detailed illustrations of the heart and its arteries are awe-inspiring in both artistic merit and fine detail. For the next 200 years the science of cardiology uncovered more about the heart's secrets. By the 18th century, physicians had learned a great deal more about our cardiovascular system. The science of monitoring blood pressure had emerged. The Reverend Stephen Hales discovery of blood pressure ushered in a new era. Soon a direct correlation between blood pressure and heart health was established.
Debakey continue to make advances in the field of cardiology and practice medicine right up until his death at the age of 99 in 2008. Two years prior to his death, the procedure that he had perfected in the 60's was used to save his life on December 31, 2005.
A true breakthrough in cardiology was made in 1938 when Robert E. Gross performed the first heart surgery. Gross, an American surgeon, was able to save the lives of infants and young children suffering from blue babies condition through surgery. Ten years later, Gross performed the first artery graft surgery, thereby making giant leaps in medicine.
In 1951, American surgeon Charles Hufnagel invented the first aplastic, artificial heart valve. This was another true miracle that gave a new lease on life to patients with heart valve failure. In 1952 at the University of Minnesota, C. Walton Lillehei and Dr. F. John Lewis, both American surgeons, performed the first successful open heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. The following year in 1953, American surgeon John Heysham Gibbon Jr. used a mechanical heart and blood purifier machine to make heart surgery safer and more effective. Unfortunately, and quite ironically, Gibbon died of a heart attack.
During this time, he met Michael E DeBakey and they developed a way to remove aortic aneurysms. He performed bloodless surgeries for Jehovah's Witnesses during the 1960's. He and his team developed new artificial heart valves which helped to drop mortality rates for heart valve transplant surgery from 70% all the way to 8%.
A few short years later, induced hypothermia was being employed to slow the heart down enough to allow even more successful surgeries. In 1958 the first implantable pacemaker surgery was performed in Sweden. By 1967 the first coronary heart bypass surgery had been performed. This type of surgery has now become extremely common, it's estimated over several million coronary bypasses are performed each year. 1967 also was the year that the first successful heart transplant was performed in South Africa. Thanks to Dr. Christian Bernard's ingenuity.
Another miraculous breakthrough in cardiology and medicine was made in 1967 by a South African surgeon, Chrstiaan Neethling Barnard. Barnard was able to, for the first time in history, perform a whole human to human heart transplant. This gave new hope to patients with even end stage heart failures or extremely serious coronary artery diseases.
As we more boldly into the 21st-century, more medical marvels await us. Biotechnology already promises a future where designer organs can be grown to match a specific patient. This is a breakthrough that could greatly reduce the risk of transplant rejection. Modern cholesterol blockers greatly decrease the chance of heart attack and disease for millions of Americans. Today's cardiologist has access to a staggering amount of new medicines. These cutting edge pharmaceuticals can lower blood pressure, control heart rate, and promote general heart health. Someday, nearly invisible nano-machines may be able to perform surgery on individual body cells. This would allow them to repair hearts from the inside out.
Their work set the gold standard, and literally wrote the book on open-heart surgery. Because of their contribution to the field of cardiology, not only are the people that live and breathe because of them grateful, but future generations who will benefit from techniques pioneered by these men can be grateful too. The world will always owe them a debt of gratitude.
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If you are looking for the best professional that will deal with your heart conditions, a Los Angeles cardiologist might help you. They provide expert health services and consultations to provide the treatments that you need.
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