The origins of cardiac surgery are dramatic. It has evolved through the efforts of visionaries who were often criticized and at times dismissed as mad, as well as the great number of desperate patients who accepted to subject themselves to new and untried procedures in the hope of cheating death. While often disregarded, the history of scientific inquiry has much to teach us, and that of cardiac surgery and interventional cardiology is no exception. To discuss the dawn and evolution of cardiac procedures, an international team of cardiac surgeons, interventional cardiologists, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, and biomedical engineers from 22 centers and six countries have been brought together. Each chapter of this book offers a detailed overview of previous investigative efforts and an understanding of the thinking and mentality behind them. Nevertheless, chapters on the recent history of mini-invasive and sutureless valve surgery have also been included, to further assist the reader in transitioning from past to present and on into the future. The attention devoted to research aspects, the comprehensiveness of the historical overview, and the pedagogic and anecdotal nature of the contents make this text unique in the cardiac field and of utmost interest to researchers, cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, residents, medical historians, and biomedical engineers.

A book for understanding the origins of current practice in cardiac procedures

Part I: Research on Cardiac Surgery and Catheterization before the Advent of Cardiopulmonary Bypass: 1. From the ancient world to the modern era: Pathways of surgical and circulation research.- 2. The ignored birth of cardiac surgery. Pericardial effusion and heart wounds.- 3. Pulmonary embolism and chronic constrictive pericarditis.- 4. Research on cardiac catheterization. Focus on Stephan Hales, Arrigo Montanari, and Werner Forssmann.- 5. The relief of mitral valve stenosis. Research on mitral and tricuspid valve repair in Russia.- 6. The relief of aortic valve pathology. From Theodor Tuffier to Charles Hufnagel.- 7. First strategies for the treatment of aortic aneurysms and dissection.- 8. Research on the surgical treatment of ischemic heart disease.- 9. Research on circulatory assist devices, heterotypic and orthotopic heart transplantation.- 10. Congenital heart disease.- 11. Anesthesia and postoperative care before the advent of cardiopulmonary bypass.- Part II: Invention of the Cardiopulmonary Bypass Machine: 12. Ignored and visionary precursors: Focus on Alexis Carrel and Charles Lindbergh.- 13. Research on cardiopulmonary bypass in Europe.- 14. Research on cardiopulmonary bypass in the U.S.A. John H. Gibbon: Biographical notes, experiments, and realization of a dream.- Part III: Research on Cardiac Surgery after the Advent of Cardiopulmonary Bypass : The Evolution of Interventional Cardiology:15. Coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary interventions.- 16. Research on coronary stenting.- 17. Percutaneous valvuloplasty.- 18. Research on interventional septum closure.- 19. Research and evolution of mechanical and biological prosthetic heart valves.- 20. Research on valve repair and valve sparing.- 21. Research on myocardial protection.- 22. Evolution of aortic vascular prosthesis: Surgical and endovascular.- 23. Research on hypothermia, circulatory arrest, and brain protection.- 24. Surgical and cardiological ablation of atrial fibrillation.- 25. Evolution of pacemakers and defibrillators.- 26. Surgery for ischemic heart disease and mechanical complication of myocardial infarction.- 27. Surgery for mediastinitis.- 28. Engineering for IABP, ECMO, and ventricular assist devices.- 29. Heterotopic and orthotopic heart transplantation.- 30. Congenital heart disease.- 31. Bioengineering for minimally invasive and robotic cardiac surgery.- 32. Percutaneous and transapical aortic valve implantation.- 33. The evolution of anesthesia and postoperative care after the advent of cardiopulmonary bypass.