
What is Michael DeBakey famous for?
Michael Ellis DeBakey (September 7, 1908 – July 11, 2008) was an American general and cardiovascular surgeon, scientist and medical educator who became Chairman of the Department of Surgery, President, and Chancellor of Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas [1]. His career spanned nearly eight decades.
What does m DeBakey stand for?
Michael DeBakey. Michael DeBakey, in full Michael Ellis DeBakey, (born September 7, 1908, Lake Charles, Louisiana, U.S.—died July 11, 2008, Houston, Texas), American cardiovascular surgeon, educator, international medical statesman, and pioneer in surgical procedures for treatment of defects and diseases of the cardiovascular system. In 1932...
How did Dr DeBakey die?
He was 99. His death, at the Methodist Hospital, was of natural causes, according to a statement released by the hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, where Dr. DeBakey was chancellor emeritus. “Many consider Michael E. DeBakey to be the greatest surgeon ever,” the Journal of the American Medical Association said in 2005.
What is DeBakey’s Surgical Innovation?
The main focus of Dr. DeBakey’s surgical innovations was arteriosclerosis, a systemic disease in which fatty deposits can damage arteries feeding the heart and other tissues, leading to heart attacks, strokes and loss of limbs. When Dr. DeBakey began his career, surgeons could do little for arteriosclerosis.
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What is Michael DeBakey most known for?
cardiovascular diseasesSurgeon. Best known for his trailblazing efforts in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey was the first to perform successful excision and graft replacement of aneurysms of the thoracic aorta and obstructive lesions of the major arteries.
What was Dr DeBakey well known for inventing?
DeBakey was among the earliest surgeons to perform coronary artery bypass surgery. A pioneer in the development of an artificial heart, he was among the first to use an external heart pump successfully in a patient – a left ventricular bypass pump.
Did Michael DeBakey invent the artificial heart?
A pioneer in the development of an artificial heart, DeBakey was the first to use an external heart pump successfully in a patient — a left ventricular bypass pump. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969, and in 1987, President Reagan awarded him the National Medal of Science.
Who is the most famous heart surgeon?
Denton CooleyEducationUniversity of Texas at Austin University of Texas Medical Branch Johns Hopkins School of MedicineKnown forFirst clinical implantation of a total artificial heartMedical careerProfessionSurgeon8 more rows
Who did the first heart transplant?
Thirty-five years ago today, surgeon Christiaan Barnard performed the first human heart transplant on a human being at the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Who invented DeBakey forceps?
Dr. Michael E. DeBakeyThey were developed by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, along with other innovations during his tenure at Baylor College of Medicine.
When did DeBakey stop operating?
DeBakey served as CEO, then as President from 1969 to 1979, then as Chancellor (1979-1986) and Chancellor Emeritus (1986-2008) while continuing as Chair of the Department of Surgery until 1993.
Why were Dr DeBakey and Dr Cooley rivals in the medical field?
But it was an incident in 1969 that turned the rift into a full-blown feud. It happened when Dr. Cooley, without approval from Dr. DeBakey or Baylor, commandeered an artificial heart from his former partner's lab and implanted it in a patient at St.
Do they have artificial hearts?
SynCardia Total Artificial Heart as bridge to transplant: SynCardia's 70cc Total Artificial Heart is currently approved as a bridge to heart transplant for patients who are at risk of imminent death from biventricular failure. It is the world's first and only FDA-approved total artificial heart.
Who is No 1 heart surgeon in the world?
Dr Panda is also called 'one of the safest heart surgeons in the world' and 'the 'surgeon with the safest hands'....Ramakanta Panda.Dr. Ramakanta PandaProfessionCardiovascular and Thoracic SurgeonInstitutionsAsian Heart Institute Asian HospitalsSub-specialtiesCardiac Surgery Redo Bypass SurgeryAwardsPadma Bhushan7 more rows
Who is the No 1 cardiologist in the world?
Salim Yusuf. Dr. Salim Yusuf is an internationally renowned cardiologist and epidemiologist whose work over 35 years has substantially influenced prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Who is the number 1 surgeon in the world?
1. Denton Cooley, MD, Cardiovascular Surgery.
What did Michael E DeBakey invent?
the roller pumpHis inventions included the roller pump (a key component of heart-lung machines) as well as artificial hearts and ventricular assist pumps. From the small Baylor University School of Medicine in Houston, he built a premier medical center, and there trained several generations of top surgeons from all over the world.
What is Denton Cooley famous for?
He performed (1969) the first successful heart transplant in the United States and was also the first to implant (1969) an artificial heart in a human. After graduating from the University of Texas in 1941, Cooley received an M.D. degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore (1944).
Why were Dr DeBakey and Dr Cooley rivals in the medical field?
But it was an incident in 1969 that turned the rift into a full-blown feud. It happened when Dr. Cooley, without approval from Dr. DeBakey or Baylor, commandeered an artificial heart from his former partner's lab and implanted it in a patient at St.
Is Dr Michael DeBakey still alive?
July 11, 2008Michael DeBakey / Date of death
Who are the DeBakey Scholars?
The foundation helped to establish the Michael E. DeBakey, Selma DeBakey and Lois DeBakey Endowed Scholarship Fund in Medical Humanities at Baylor University. The scholarship designates award recipients as "DeBakey Scholars" in recognition of the legacy of the DeBakey family.
What did DeBakey's parents do?
His father was a businessman involved in establishing rice farms, drug stores and estate agencies, and DeBakey helped out with keeping the books.
What material did DeBakey use to make blood vessels?
His pursuit of the ideal material to make grafts led him to a department store that had run out of nylon, so he settled on polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) and bought a yard of the material. Using his wife's sewing machine, DeBakey produced the first arterial Dacron grafts to replace or repair blood vessels. He subsequently collaborated with a research associate from the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science to create a knitting machine for making grafts.
What rank did DeBakey hold?
Army as the director of the Surgical Consultants’ Division in the Surgeon General 's office. He later held the rank of colonel in the Army Reserve. In 1945, he was given the Legion of Merit award.
What did DeBakey learn as a child?
As a child, DeBakey learned to play the saxophone and was taught by his seamstress mother to sew, crochet, knit and tat. He could sew his own shirt by the age of 10. He also became intrigued with the Encyclopædia Britannica and is said by colleagues to have read it from beginning to end. He learned French and German and participated in a Boy Scout troop. He won awards for vegetables he had grown in his garden.
How many honorary degrees did DeBakey have?
DeBakey became a member of numerous learned societies, gained 36 honorary degrees and was the recipient of hundreds of awards.
Where is Michael DeBakey's statue?
Early life and education. Michael DeBakey's statue in the American University of Science and Technology 's campus in his homeland capital, Beirut, Lebanon. Michael DeBakey was born as Michel Dabaghi in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 7, 1908, to Lebanese Maronite Christian parents Shaker Morris and Raheeja Dabaghi.
Who is DeBakey from?
Childhood & Early Life. He was born to Lebanese immigrants Shaker and Raheeja Dabaghi who later changed their surname to DeBakey. He was a bright and curious little boy who realized his interest in studying medicine at an early age. He had four younger siblings.
Who is Michael DeBakey?
A pioneer in surgery, American cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey was a physician, scientist, and innovator , all rolled into one. He is the inventor of the Roller-pump that makes it possible to provide continuous supply of blood during operations. This invention was a milestone in cardiac surgery, as open-heart surgery would have been impossible without the use of this pump. Even as a young boy he knew that he wanted to be in the medical profession. Curious and intelligent from an early age, he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and loved to invent things. This innate curiosity in him led him to invent many surgical devices later in his life as a medical doctor. Over a long career spanning over seven decades, Dr. DeBakey revolutionized the field of cardiology in ways too numerous to count. During his stint with the army, he helped to develop the mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units which facilitated the fast transportation of wounded soldiers to surgical hospitals. Often regarded as one of the greatest surgeons of his time, he is credited to have performed over 60,000 operations. He was also famous for being called to treat world leaders like President Boris N. Yeltsin of Russia.
Why was DeBakey so hands on?
DeBakey took pride in being “hands-on” when it came to work in the lab or performing autopsies with his residents to help them learn. This trait of being ‘hand s-on’ gave him insight and power in his own mind so that he could visualize solutions to problems and reduce them to practice.
Who invented medical technology?
Michael DeBakey loved sewing and sewed his way into history with his agile hands and sharp mind. Dr. DeBakey not only invented novel medical technology, he invented policies and new organizations to help improve healthcare. Dr.
What hospital did Michael DeBakey die in?
His death, at the Methodist Hospital , was of natural causes, according to a statement released by the hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, where Dr. DeBakey was chancellor emeritus. “Many consider Michael E. DeBakey to be the greatest surgeon ever,” the Journal of the American Medical Association said in 2005.
Why did Michael DeBakey move to the United States?
He was born on Sept. 7, 1908, the oldest of five children of Lebanese-Christian immigrants who moved to the United States to escape religious intolerance in the Middle East. His parents chose Cajun country because French was spoken there, as it had been in Lebanon.
What was the purpose of the DeBakey pump?
This was before the time of blood banks, so Dr. DeBakey used the pump to transfuse blood directly from a donor to a patient. The pump was later adapted for use in the heart-lung machine. .

Overview
External links
• Video: A Dying King: The Shah of Iran
• DeBakey Department of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine
• Methodist DeBakey Heart Center at The Methodist Hospital
• Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Early life and education
Michael DeBakey was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on September 7, 1908. His parents, Shiker and Raheeja Dabaghi (the name was anglicized to DeBakey before Michael's birth) were immigrants from Jdedeit Marjeyoun, Lebanon (then Syria) although they did not meet until both were living in the United States. Shiker, who had been a traveling salesman, settled in Lake Charles in the early …
Medical school
DeBakey attended Tulane University, where he enrolled in a six-year program that combined undergraduate and medical school. He was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in1930 and M.D. in 1932.
During his final year in medical school at Tulane University, and prior to the establishment of blood banks, DeBakey adapted old pumps and rubber tubing …
Postgraduate surgical training
Between 1933 and 1935, DeBakey remained in New Orleans to complete his internship and residency in surgery at Charity Hospital, and in 1935, he received a MS for his research on stomach ulcers. As was the trend for ambitious training surgeons at the time, and as his mentors Rudolph Matas and Alton Ochsner had done before him, DeBakey was encouraged to complete his surgical fellowshi…
Second World War
During the Second World War, DeBakey served in the US Army in the Surgical Consultants’ Division in the Office of the Surgeon General of the Army. In 1945, he was given the Legion of Merit award. Although sometimes credited in recent years for establishing the system of Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals, research has shown that DeBakey actually led the effort to prevent the establishment o…
Postwar surgical career
DeBakey joined the faculty of Baylor University College of Medicine (now known as the Baylor College of Medicine) in 1948, serving as chairman of the surgical department until 1993. DeBakey was president of the college from 1969 to 1979, and served as its chancellor from 1979 to January 1996, when he was named chancellor emeritus. He was Olga Keith Wiess and Distinguished Servi…
Later surgical career
DeBakey continued to practice medicine until his death in 2008 at the age of 99. His contributions to the field of medicine spanned the better part of 75 years. DeBakey operated on more than 60,000 patients, including several heads of state. DeBakey and a team of American cardiothoracic surgeons, including George Noon, supervised quintuple-bypass surgery performed by Russian surgeons on Russian president Boris Yeltsin in 1996.