DeBakey surgery at age 97

[Phyllis]

This is an amazing article about Dr. Michael DeBakey's surgery for an aortic aneurysm at age 97. Long, but worth the read.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/25/h...age&adxnnlx=1167055357-G2nfS8xMzhZuNlwZ2UXk/A

 

[bvdr]

Phylis, great article! Thanks! Merry Christmas.

 

[catwoman]

Fascinating!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Susan BAV]

Fascinating is right; I printed it out - most of five pages after I shrunk the type!

 

[ALCapshaw2]

VERY INSPIRING !

(especially as I count down to OHS #3 - MVR)...

'AL Capshaw'

 

[hensylee]

Nurse cousin who took care of me after heart surgery. She worked on the heart floor when Dr DeBakey was actively practicing. She saw him many times, but didn't like him much. He was a genius. Far as I know he was still consulting last time we heard.

 

[Granbonny]

My Aunt in Galveston, Texas..had a weekend home on the bay..for skiing, ect...She introduced me to him in 1955...I was age 15 years..so figured he was age 51..Had no idea who he was at the time?She said, he is a famous heart doctor in Houston......Like at age 15..that went in one ear and out the other. Figured, he was just another normal man having fun on the weekend. ........Bonnie

 

[Mary]

What an interesting article to read . . . thanks, Phyllis.

In 1977, I think, De Bakey operated on my uncle Bennett. He traveled to Houston from his home in St. Louis for this same surgery--repair/replacement of his ascending/descending aorta. Unfortunately, he did not have the same
outcome as Dr. DeBakey and died two days after surgery.

 

[Arlyss]

Hi Mary,

I am so sorry to hear what happened to your uncle. In 1977, aortic surgery in the chest was still very high risk. It is just in the past 10 to 15 years that it has generally become much safer in experienced hands. Some parts of the aorta, such as the arch and thoracoabdominal, remain very challenging. And while the ascending aorta may seem simpler, removing the entire ascending aorta under circulatory arrest is not easy either. However, in skilled hands these are life saving operations today, and Dr. DeBakey's experience shows that if in good health, age alone need not prevent people from having this surgery!

Perhaps some will be interested in this link, which gives a little background about Dr. DeBakey and Dacron - interestingly, we owe a great deal to the unknown person working in that department store who suggested Dacron to him!

http://bicuspidfoundation.com/Reflections_on_Thoracic_Aortic_Disease.html

Best wishes,
Arlyss

 

[PJmomrunner]

Wow! How ironic to have developed the procedure that, decades afterward, saves one's own life. The man is a hero on so many levels.

I'm so glad you posted this, Phylliss. I get the Times online but hadn't read it for over a week. I'm so glad I didn't miss it.

 

[Marty]

Very interesting. My surgeon Ed Lefrak trained with Dr. deBakey. I saw Dr. DeBakey operate at Walter Reed in 1955- on TV! Very new then. He did a very delicate complex vascular operation on a young lady with Takayusu's Disease. He had a microphone in his mask and I can still hear his non- nervous narrative and regular breathing with blood spurting everywhere.The patient survived and did quite well, He's an amazing guy.