Last Updated on February 12, 2023 by Dr Bucho
During his career, DeBakey Lead many inventions and wrote more than 1,400 articles, chapters, Books
Biography Of Cardiovascular surgeon Debakey
We all have been curious to know Who is The Number one Surgeon In The World, obviously, it will be lame to think who is number one but we can’t Deny the Fact and the contribution of Michael E. DeBakey in the field of cardiology and surgery. Michael E. DeBakey M.D was a renowned Cardiovascular surgeon who was Born on Sept. 7, 1908, in Lake Charles, Legendary doctor, educator, and medical statesman Michael Ellis DeBakey was a surgeon from the United States. His work changed cardiovascular surgery, increased the bar for medical education, and had an impact on national healthcare policy throughout the course of his 75-year career.
By the end of his second year at Tulane, he had acquired enough credits to enroll in medical school. He studied medicine while doing his last college classes. He consequently earned his B.S. in 1930, M.D. in 1932, and M.S. in 1935. He invented the roller pump in his last year of medical school. It became an essential part of the heart-lung machine that made open-heart surgery possible two decades later. Baylor College Of Medicine
“Because the field of medicine has been generally recognized and accepted as an ennobling and genuinely humanitarian field of endeavor, it constitutes one of the strongest bridges across international borders.”
Letter from Dr. Michael DeBakey to President Nixon, July 9, 1973, on fostering international alliances. Registered Profiles
Who is The Number one Surgeon In The World


DeBakey was a productive doctor and educator who taught more than 1,000 surgeons who currently work all over the world. He performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular surgeries. On January 20, 1977, the Michael E. DeBakey International Cardiovascular Surgical Society was established in his memory. This organization, which later changed its name to the Michael E. DeBakey International Surgical Society, carries on DeBakey’s vision via recognition, education, and scholarship.
During his career, DeBakey wrote more than 1,400 articles, chapters and books including two New York Times best-sellers: The Living Heart and The New Living Heart Diet. Other popular books he co-authored include The Living Heart Brand Name Shopper’s Guide, The Living Heart Guide to Eating Out and The New Living Heart. Baylor College Of Medicine
Journey
At Tulane University, DeBakey finished his premedical courses in two years, entering the Tulane School of Medicine in 1928. He earned his MD in 1932 and did an internship at Charity Hospital in New Orleans from 1933 to 1935. in 1937, he joined the Tulane faculty and married Diana Cooper, a nursing supervisor at Charity Hospital. They had four sons: Michael, Ernest, Barry, and Denis.
From 1942 to 1946, DeBakey served in the Surgical Consultants Division of the Army Surgeon General’s Office, where he and his colleagues assessed the Army’s European medical operations and formulated plans to improve surgical services.
In 1968 Baylor College of Medicine separated from Baylor University. 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.
Inventions and Achievements
1
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. A pioneer in the development of an artificial heart, he was the first to use a partial artificial heart — a left ventricular bypass pump, successfully.
2
In 1953, DeBakey performed the first successful carotid endarterectomy, thereby establishing the field of surgery for strokes. In 1963, he received the first federally funded grant to establish a program for the development of artificial heart pumps, a project on which he had long labored. In the 1950s, he also developed the first Dacron grafts designed to replace areas of arteries weakened by aneurysms.
3
in the 1950s, he also developed the first Dacron grafts designed to replace areas of arteries weakened by aneurysms. In 1964, DeBakey and associates performed the first successful aortocoronary-artery bypass with an autogenous vein graft. In 1966, he was the first to successfully implant a left ventricular assist device, which helped failing hearts pump blood. In 1968, he led a team of surgeons in a historic multiple-transplantation procedure in which the heart, kidneys, and one lung of a donor were transplanted to four recipients.
4
He and colleagues developed the DeBakey Ventricular Assist Device, which he believed could help a failing heart pump blood. He believed that two working together could function as a total heart replacement.
5
He helped establish the system of treating military personnel returning from the war, a concept that evolved into the Veterans Affairs Medical Center System, now the Department of Veterans Affairs. For his service, he received the U.S. Army Legion of Merit Award.
6
He published a number of papers about treating chest wounds and vascular injuries in injured military personnel. His work led to the development of mobile army surgical hospitals or MASH units. He also carried out research on stomach ulcers for which he received a MS in 1935.
Honors And Awards


Image: United States Mint
- US Army Legion of Merit (1945)
- American Medical Association Hektoen Gold Medal (1954 and 1970)
- Rudolph Matas Award in Vascular Surgery (1954)
- International Society of Surgery Distinguished Service Award (1958)
- René Leriche Prize from the International Surgical Society (1959)
- American Medical Association Distinguished Service Award (1959)
- Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research (1963)
- American Academy of Achievement’s Golden Plate Award (1967)
- Prix International Dag Hammarskjold Great Collar with Golden Medal (1967)
- American Heart Association Gold Heart Award (1968)
- Medal of Freedom with Distinction (1969)
- Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award (1969)
- Yugoslavian Presidential Banner and Sash (1971)
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences 50th Anniversary Jubilee Medal (1973)
- Independence of Jordan Medal (1980)
- American Surgical Association Distinguished Service Award (1981)
- National Medal of Science (1987)
- Merit Order of the Republic of Egypt (1980)
- International Society of Surgery Distinguished Service Award (1981)
- National Medal of Science (1987)
- Theodore E. Cummings Memorial Prize for Outstanding Contributions in Cardiovascular Disease (1987)
- International Platform Association George Crile Award as the Trailblazer in Open Heart Surgery (1988)
- Thomas Alva Edison Foundation Award (1988)
- Honorary Doctorate of Science from Universidad Francisco Marroquín (1989)
- Special Award for Space Technology Utilization (1997)
- MUSC Lindbergh-Carrel Prize (2002)
- Lomonosov Large Gold Medal, Russian Academy of Sciences (2003)
- The Denton A. Cooley Leadership Award (January 21, 2009)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Michael Debakey?
Legendary doctor, educator, and medical statesman Michael Ellis DeBakey was a surgeon from the United States. His work changed cardiovascular surgery, increased the bar for medical education, and had an impact on national health care policy throughout the course of a 75-year career.
Why is Michael DeBakey important?
Michael E. DeBakey was the first to successfully remove thoracic aortic aneurysms and obstructive lesions of the major arteries and replace them with grafts. He was a leader in the development of an artificial heart and the first person to successfully employ a left ventricular bypass pump, a type of partial artificial heart.
What is DeBakey famous for?
DeBakey was the first to successfully remove thoracic aortic aneurysms and obstructive lesions of the major arteries and replace them with grafts. a pioneer in the creation of a synthetic heart,
This article may have excerpts from the article published by bcm.edu and National library of medicine , but the article is solely made for information purposes only under a common creative license.
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