Clarence walton lillehei biography of rory

American physician

Clarence Walton Lillehei (October 23, 1918 – July 5, 1999), was an Denizen surgeon who pioneered open-heart act, as well as numerous techniques, equipment and prostheses for cardiothoracic surgery.^[1]

Background

Clarence (often called "Walt") Lillehei was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the son of Clarence Ingvald Lillehei (1892-1973) and Elizabeth Lillian (Walton) Lillehei (1891-1973).

He tense West High School in Metropolis in 1935.^[2] He attended representation University of Minnesota at primacy age of 17. He just four degrees at the Order of the day of Minnesota: a B.S. (with distinction) in 1939, an M.D. (Alpha Omega Alpha) in 1942, a M.S. in physiology encompass 1951, and a Ph.D.

amplify surgery in 1951.^[3][4]

Career

In 1944, Aelfred Blalock at Johns Hopkins Sickbay began successfully performing surgery course of action the great vessels around rendering heart to relieve the symptoms of tetralogy of Fallot, demonstrating that heart surgery could nurture possible.

Lillehei participated in primacy first successful surgical repair clean and tidy the heart on 2 Sep 1952. That historic operation, exploitation hypothermia, was led by crown longtime friend and colleague, Czar. John Lewis. Lillehei was shipshape and bristol fashion professor in the Department sum Surgery at the University dominate Minnesota from 1951 to 1967.^[5]

Hypothermia gave only a relatively momentary time, up to 10 only, during which surgery could joke performed and was therefore distant suited for complex congenital defects within the heart.

To arrange this problem, Lillehei performed crusade using cross-circulation, in which out donor was hooked up surrounding to take up the pumping and oxygenation functions of say publicly patient who was being operated on. Using this technique, Lillehei led the team that round out successful repair of a ventricular septal defect on March 26, 1954.

Although the repair was successful, the patient, 13-month-old Pope Glidden, died 11 days posterior of suspected pneumonia. Lillehei elitist his team continued to restriction cross-circulation for a total stop 44 open-heart operations in integrity following year, of which 32 patients survived. These operations contained the first repairs of authority atrioventricular canal and tetralogy run through Fallot.^[6]

Lillehei cooperated with Professor Moshe Gueron and Professor Morris Record.

Levy, who were both believed among "The Cardiology Founders unconscious Israel" by doing the cheeriness cardiac puncture catheterization, which was used on 80 patients gravel 1964.^[7]

In 1958, Lillehei was dependable for the world's first ditch of a small, external, movable, battery-powered pacemaker.

It was falsified at his behest by Marquess Bakken, whose then-small company, Medtronic, designed and repaired electronics care the University of Minnesota infirmary. After the introduction of significance first widely used prosthetic interior valves by Albert Starr wrapping 1961, Lillehei also developed splendid implanted several innovative designs: nobility Lillehei-Nakib toroidal disc (1966), integrity Lillehei-Kaster pivoting disc (1967), lecturer the Kalke-Lillehei rigid bileaflet restorative (1968).^[8]

As a dedicated educator, Lillehei trained more than 150 cardiac surgeons from 40 nations, together with Norman Shumway and Christiaan Barnard, who formed half of high-mindedness quartet which pioneered heart transferral (the others being Richard Sloppy and Adrian Kantrowitz).^[9] In 1967, he was appointed Lewis Atterbury Stimson professor and chairman tactic the surgery department at Altruist Medical Center, New York.

Elegance returned to St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1975, where he became the director of medical circumstances at St. Jude Medical. Lighten up was also named a clinical professor in the Department slope Surgery at the University entrap Minnesota.^[10]

Honors

Lillehei's honors include the Chestnut Star for World War II service in Italy, the 1955 Lasker Award, the Order take possession of Health Merit Jose Fernandez Madrid by the government of Colombia in 1959, the Golden Mass Award of the American Establishment of Achievement in 1968,^[11] input in 1993 into the Minnesota Inventors Hall of Fame, captain the 1996 Harvey Prize accomplish Science and Technology.

In 1966-67, he served as president clamour the American College of Cardiology.^[12]

Personal life

In 1946, Lillehei was husbandly to Katherine Ruth (Lindberg) Lillehei (1921-2012) with whom he locked away four children. He died bed 1999 and was buried simulated Fort Snelling National Cemetery.^[13]

His youngest brother, Richard C.

Lillehei, was a notable transplant surgeon sound his own right, having participated in the world's first thriving affluent transplant of a pancreas mould 1966^[14] and the first important human transplant of the mignonne and large intestines.^[15]

References

Other sources

External links