The Evolution of Cardiac Surgery

'[A] classic which will surely become the standard reference for the entire field of cardiovascular surgery...It is unlikely that such a comprehensive and authoritative text, and one written as elegantly, will again appear' - David C. Sabiston, Jr. ' ...it tells how imaginative dreams can paint the canvases of tomorrow' - Journal of the American Medical Association.This book is the first complete history of the development of heart surgery, from the observations of the ancient Greeks to the extraordinary advances of the present day, noted heart surgeon Harris B Shumacker has scoured the vast literature on heart surgery in many languages and succeeded in untangling the complex strands of a fascinating story. An active and respected participant in the last half-century of this history, Shumacker brings to his narrative an expert's insights and a wealth of first-hand experience.With the meticulous care of a surgeon, Shumacker retraces the incremental growth in our knowledge of the human heart and its repair, with clear discussions of each innovative procedure, both the successes and the failures. He pays special attention to clarifying the individual contributions of the many doctors and researchers throughout the world who have played a role in this still-developing story. His book is both a comprehensive history and an important resource for the medical professional and the medical historian.

Table of Contents:
Foreword by David C. Sabiston, Jr. Preface Acknowledgments 1. The Beginning: A Backward Glance 2. The First Suture-Closures of Cardiac Wounds 3. The Neo-Modern Period Begins: Early Management of Constrictive Pericarditis 4. The Pulmonary Embolus Gives Ground 5. Cardiac Arrest and Ventricular Fibrillation 6. The Early Story of Mitral Stenosis 7. The Modern Period: The Ductus Is Divided 8. Coarctation Is Conquered 9. Other Extracardiac Anomalies 10. The Blalock Operation: Systemic-Pulmonary Shunts 11. Other Shunt Procedures: The First Right Heart Bypass Efforts 12. Anomalies of the Coronary Arteries 13. Difficulties with Right Ventricular Outflow 14. Mitral Stenosis Revisited 15. Aortic Valvular, Subvalvular, and Supravalvular Stenosis 16. Pericardial Surgery Moves Along 17. Approaches to the Management of Myocardial Ischemia 18. Atrial Septal Defects 19. Tumors of the Heart 20. Ectopia Cordis 21. Cardiac Aneurysms 22. Cardiac Wounds and Foreign Bodies in the Heart 23. The Development of the Pacemaker 24. Tricuspid Stenosis and Atresia 25. Pulmonary and Tricuspid Insufficiency 26. Attempts to Control Mitral Regurgitation 27. Efforts to Correct Aortic Insufficiency 28. Hypothermia 29. Development of the Heart-Lung Machine: Birth of the Current Era 30. Perfusion without a Mechanical Oxygenator 31. Further Development of Heart-Lung Machines 32. Induced Cardiac Arrest, Coronary Perfusion, Deep Hypothermia, and Circulatory Arrest 33. Assisting the Heart 34. Valve Replacement and Valve Reconstruction 35. Transplantation of the Heart 36. Ventricular Assist Devices and the Artificial Heart 37. The AuthorOs Summation 38. What Lies Ahead? A Final Word References Index