Alfred Blalock, Helen Taussig, and Vivien Thomas : Mending Children's Hearts

This book examines the careers of Blalock, a white male surgeon; Taussig, a white female cardiologist; and Thomas, an African American male laboratory technician; who in 1944 combined their skills to create a groundbreaking surgical procedure that not only saved the lives of thousands of children, but also made surgeons aware that surgery on living hearts was possible. Alfred Blalock, Helen Taussig, and Vivien Thomas recounts the lives and careers of three medical pioneers--a white male surgeon (Blalock), a white female cardiologist (Taussig), and an African-American male laboratory technician (Thomas)--who combined their skills in 1944 to create a groundbreaking operation that not only saved the lives and health of thousands of children born with heart defects but also made surgeons realize for the first time that surgery on living hearts was possible. In addition to describing this operation and the other accomplishments of these individuals, the book highlights the social and personal conflicts that shaped and sometimes hindered their work and that of other scientists during that era Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Introduction......Page 16 1: Three Beginnings......Page 20 2: Lifesaving Research......Page 38 3: Chief of Surgery......Page 54 4: Blue Babies......Page 69 5: Royal Progress......Page 80 6: Heart Surgery Comes of Age......Page 91 7: Late Honors......Page 101 Conclusion......Page 121 Chronology......Page 124 Glossary......Page 131 Further Resources......Page 135 Index......Page 141 Recounts the lives and careers of three medical pioneers--Alfred Blalock, Helen Taussig, and Vivien Thomas, who together created an operation that saved thousands of children born with heart defects, and also made surgeons realize that surgery on living hearts was possible Recounts The Lives And Careers Of Three Medical Professionals Who Were Pioneers In The Field Of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery.