Timeline of Dr. DeBakey's Life

In a career spanning more than 70 years, Dr. DeBakey made innumerable contributions to the field of cardiovascular medicine. Here, we provide a breakdown of his achievements.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Timeline.jpg
Credit: The Methodist Hospital
Dr. Michael DeBakey performed surgery late in his career. Here, he is 90.

1908 Born in Lake Charles, Louisiana

1928 Entered medical school at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana

1932 → Developed roller pump used in heart-lung machine

1937 → Joined faculty at Tulane University

1942 → Assigned to U.S. Surgeon General's office

1945 → Awarded Legion of Merit for developing MASH units

1948 → Moved to Houston and started at The Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine

1949 → Led movement to establish National Library of Medicine

1952 Performed the first successful removal of a
blockage of the carotid artery, which
establishes the field of surgical treatment of stroke.

1950-53 Developed Dacron artificial grants for cardiac bypass surgery

1953 Performed first removal of blockage in carotid artery

1956 → Performed first patch-graft angioplasty

1959 → Received Distinguished Service Award from American Medical Association

1960 → Began development of artificial heart

1963 → Was first to use interactive telemedicine

1964 → Performed first aorto-coronary artery bypass

1964 → Appointed chairman of President's Commission on Heart Disease, Cancer and Stroke

1966 → Was first to successfully use an artificial heart

1968 → Performed first of 12 heart transplants

1968 Directs the first multiple organ transplants of a heart, one lung and both
kidneys from one donor to four recipients

1969 → Appointed president of Baylor College of Medicine

1969 → Presented with the Medal of Freedom with Distinction

1977 → Authored "The Living Heart"

1978 → The Michael E. DeBakey Center for Biomedical Education and Research created

1984 → Authored "The Living Diet"

1985 → The DeBakey Heart Center created

1987 → Awarded the National Medicine of Science

1991 → Given Lifetime Achievement Award of the Foundation for Biomedical Research

1993 → Received Honorary Doctorate from Moscow State University

1996 → Inducted into Health Care Hall of Fame

1996 → Serves as consultant for surgery of Russian president Boris Yeltsin

1998 → Celebrates 50 years at Baylor College of Medicine and The Methodist Hospital

1998 → Appears live on NBC-TV's "Today" performing surgery with Dr. George Noon

1998 → DeBakey VAD developed with NASA implanted in first patients in Germany and Austria

1999 → Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from United Nations

2000 → Cited as Living Legend by U.S. Library of Congress

2000 → Named honorary member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, first foreign physician to receive this honor

2000 → Surgeons at The Methodist Hospital implant first MicroMed DeBakey VAD in an American patient.

2002 → The MicroMed DeBakey VAD earns the NASA "Commercial Invention of the Year" award.

2003 Given the American Heart Association Lifetime Achievement Award

2004 Veterans Affairs Medical Center named in his honor

2008 Received the Congressional Gold Medal

Source: The Methodist Hospital


More on Dr. DeBakey: 

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