Sun, Sep 07 2008
|
|
Published July 15, 2008 06:53 pm - When Dr. Michael DeBakey passed away over the weekend, the news was treated with one of those collective, “Oh, by the way” attitudes by many folks in the national media. Mike Pound: Joplin surgeon recalls pioneering heart doctor By Mike Pound
Globe columnist mpound@joplinglobe.com When Dr. Michael DeBakey passed away over the weekend, the news was treated with one of those collective, “Oh, by the way” attitudes by many folks in the national media. In one way that’s understandable. After all, DeBakey was 99 years old, but the fact of the matter is it is no exaggeration to say there are hundreds of thousands of folks walking around today who wouldn’t be walking around had it not been for DeBakey. When it comes to the world of cardiovascular surgery, DeBakey was a giant. In baseball terms DeBakey was Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Hank Aaron, Joe DiMaggio, Derek Jeter and Abner Doubleday rolled into one. See, DeBakey wasn’t just a great — some say the best — cardiovascular surgeon in the world, he also practically invented the process. “Dr. DeBakey was a titan in a field of pioneers,” Dr. Joseph Graham said this week. He should know. In 1981, Graham and Dr. Mitch Stinnett opened the Heart and Vascular Care Center at St. John’s Regional Medical Center. Both men were fresh off DeBakey’s grueling residency program. But Graham’s ties to DeBakey can be traced back to his high-school days when DeBakey offered him a summer job working in his lab in Houston. He would continue to work for DeBakey through college. After medical school and formal surgical residency training, Graham signed on as a resident with DeBakey. At the time, a residency with DeBakey was considered one of the most prestigious and rigorous posts in medicine. Think of playing basketball for Bobby Knight in the 1980s. That’s what it was like to be a resident for DeBakey. “You would walk into the hospital on your first day and sign in. You wouldn’t walk out for three months,” Graham said. That three-month immersion in everything relating to cardiovascular surgery was followed by a two-month immersion. It was a grueling, yet rewarding experience, Graham said. DeBakey was totally dedicated to his profession and his patients and expected the surgeons who studied under him to be equally dedicated. “You had to be like him or he didn’t want anything to do with you. There were no excuses. People who are sick don’t want to hear excuses,” he said. Before DeBakey and the development of his many groundbreaking surgical techniques, heart disease was largely a death sentence. But DeBakey and — Graham says DeBakey would be quick to point out — other pioneering surgeons changed that. Starting in the 1950s, DeBakey began performing what at the time were unheard of medical techniques. He was the first to perform replacements of arterial aneurysms and obstructions. He pioneered coronary artery bypass surgery. As a young man he invented a roller pump that later became the key component of the heart-lung machine that made open-heart surgery possible. 
•
Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.
More from the Local News section
Opening of feed store hailed as symbol of spirit of area
Area clerks say increased registration could translate to large voter turnout Former ball player to discuss role of parents in athletic development Kansas water commissioner to discuss water rights, Pittsburg permit request |
Print this story
E-mail this story
Post to del.icio.us
Discuss this story
Donors hoping to sway presidential race w/ link to search for political campaign contributions
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
The Joplin Globe Publishing Company 117 East Fourth Street, Joplin, MO 64801 Using our site is your agreement to the terms and conditions. News: news@joplinglobe.com • (417)623-3480 Advertise with the Joplin Globe Copyright © 2006 The Joplin Globe, Joplin, MO All rights reserved. |
Popular Business directory links - Joplin Apartments | Joplin Attorneys | Joplin Auto Dealers | Joplin Auto Parts | Joplin Auto Repair | Joplin Beauty Salons | Joplin Car Rental | Joplin Dentists | Joplin Doctors | Joplin Flowers | Joplin Hotels | Joplin Insurance | Joplin Loans | Joplin Mortgages | Joplin Movers | Joplin Pizza | Joplin Realtors | Joplin Restaurants | Joplin Storage | Joplin Tax Preparation | Joplin Travel | Joplin Featured | More...
|
|
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. • CNHI Classified Advertising Network • CNHI News Service |