DEBAKEY, MICHAEL


Meaning of DEBAKEY, MICHAEL in English

born Sept. 7, 1908, Lake Charles, La., U.S.

U.S. surgeon.

He received his M.D. from Tulane University. In 1932 he devised the "roller pump," to be used in heart-lung machines. His work with the U.S. Surgeon General's office led to the development of mobile army surgical hospitals (MASH units). He also developed an efficient method of grafting frozen blood vessels to correct aortic aneurysms and pioneered the use of plastic tubing instead of grafts (1956). He was the first to perform a successful coronary artery bypass, and in 1963 he was the first to insert a mechanical device into the chest to assist the heart. He edited the Yearbook of Surgery (1958–70). His many awards include the Medal of Freedom.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.