Heart surgery in the 1960′s

This story reminds me of the days of Blalock at Johns Hopkins in the 1940s when he and Vivien Thomas pioneered the first heart surgery. Seems like old hat now, but back in those days, surgery on the heart was unheard of, and the medical community was convinced the any kind of heart surgery was impossible. In fact, the dogma was “noli tangere cordus” which is Latin for “dont touch the heart,” a phrase coined by Galen some 2000 years ago.

My mother was Blalock’s 5th “blue baby.” My father spoke to Dr. Taussig after hte procedure and she said that my mom turned from blue to pink within 2 minutes after the clamps were removed.

HBO made a fabulous independent movie about Thomas and Blalock called “Something the Lord Made.” Check it out sometime.