"This book is the first complete history of the development of heart surgery. Its story ranges from the observations of the ancient Greeks through early efforts to repair heart wounds in the nineteenth century 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 has 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 experts insights and a wealth of first-hand experience." "As a backdrop for what is to come, Shumacker surveys the prehistory of modern heart surgery, but his story begins in earnest in the 1920s and 1930s, when the first attempts were made to operate on the heart and adjacent vessels to correct congenital malformations. He describes the early operations on the great vessels and surface of the heart; intracardiac manipulations upon the beating, functioning, and unsupported heart; and operations carried out within the opened heart." "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." "Shumacker concludes with the revolutionary developments of contemporary heart surgery: the heart-lung machine, deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest, cardiac support devices, heart transplants, and the artificial heart. Here is a comprehensive history and an important resource for the medical professional and the medical historian." --Book Jacket.

The beginning of cardiac surgery is generally considered to be the successful repair of a wound of the heart that took place on the 7th of September 1896 in Frankfurt am Main. This operation put an end to the widespread belief that nature had set the heart beyond the limits of surgery. The successive development of heart surgery moved together with other advances that were rapidly taking place in various fields of medicine and surgery and which, already in the first half of the 20th century, had allowed surgical pioneers to successfully correct a number of congenital and acquired heart diseases by adopting closed-heart techniques. Undoubtedly, the most notable progress in the history of cardiac surgery took place between the second half of the 1950s and the end of the 1960s with the introduction of extra-corporeal circulation that allowed surgeons to perform interventions under direct vision within the bloodless heart chambers. This fundamental technological innovation fostered the development of surgical procedures that are still adopted to this day. Among these that must be mentioned are the correction of complex congenital heart diseases, the designing and creation of implantable prosthetic heart valves, the introduction of coronary artery surgery, the repair of severe diseases of the aorta, the commencement of heart transplantation, and the first implantation of an artificial heart. This book narrates these fascinating and sometimes dramatic events, as well as detailing some of the greatest pioneers of cardiac surgery.

The book provides a clear overview of the various research stages of cardiac surgery, interventional cardiology, and cardiac anesthesia. It also deals with recent advances in minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, and many other innovations introduced in this field. However, aim of this volume is not only to describe the evolution of the discipline, but also to give the occasion of revisiting old and forgotten ideas that could be used successfully also nowadays if supported by modern technologies. With contributions by renowned international experts, the volume will be a very useful tool for students, residents, cardiac surgery and anesthesia professionals, cardiologists, biomedical engineers, and researchers.

Robotic surgery is currently devoid of adequate didactic material necessary to facilitate daily application in cardiothoracic surgical practice. This book represents the definitive atlas that will lead both the practicing and new cardiothoracic surgeons in these methods. It will define the operative pathway of each procedure, from beginning to end, for surgeons who wish to be a complete robotic cardiac surgeon and include hints and procedural pitfalls derived from the experiences of chapter contributors. The book will be illustrated with high quality illustrations and color photographs from surgical operations where appropriate. Leading surgeons have contributed to the book and provided sample illustrations for their respective chapters. Anesthetic and cardiopulmonary support preparation for each operation will be included and selected references will be provided to emphasize evidence-based outcomes.

In the years following World War II, medicine won major battles against smallpox, diphtheria, and polio. In the same period it also produced treatments to control the progress of Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, and schizophrenia. It made realities of open-heart surgery, organ transplants, test-tube babies. Unquestionably, the medical accomplishments of the postwar years stand at the forefront of human endeavor, yet progress in recent decades has slowed nearly to a halt. In this judicious examination of medicine in our times, which has won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, medical doctor and columnist James Le Fanu both surveys the glories of medicine in the postwar years and analyzes the factors that for the past twenty-five years have increasingly widened the gulf between achievement and advancement: the social theories of medicine, ethical issues, and political debates over health care that have hobbled the development of vaccines and discovery of new "miracle" cures. While fully demonstrating the extraordinary progress effected by medical research in the latter half of the twentieth century, Le Fanu also identifies the perils that confront medicine in the twenty-first century. "[From] a respected science writer . . . important information that . . . has been overlooked or ignored by many physicians." —New Republic "Provocative and engrossing and informative." —Houston Chronicle

Over the past ?fty years, advanced techniques and strategies have arisen in the ?eld of myocardial protection. Meticulous trials, focusing on pulmonary protection during heart surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), have been missing. This te- book is intended to serve as a useful tool to spread information on strategies for lung protection during heart surgery with CPB. Emphasis on pulmonary protection will be turned to lung perfusion as an adjunct for minimizing the deleterious effects of pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion injury in heart surgery. Many renowned authors have contributed by presenting their expe- ence on lung perfusion in basic research and clinical trials. Furthermore, they have enlightened the quality of this textbook with new ideas, concepts, and future perspectives. The scope of this textbook is of interest to different professionals, such as card- vascular surgeons, pulmonary surgeons, transplantation physicians, cardiothoracic anesthesiologists, intensive care physicians, cardiothoracic fellows, radiologists, basic sciences physicians, cardiologists, pulmonary medicine physicians, perfusi- ists, nurses, students, and researchers. This textbook has 7 sections, aimed at addressing general and speci?c aspects of pulmonary protection during heart surgery with CPB. The ?rst section on general concepts provides information about anatomic, physiologic, histologic, molecular, and radiologic considerations regarding the lungs. The second section focuses on ischemia-reperfusion injury and is composed of several interesting chapters, addressing the basic science aspects of pulmonary p- tection, as well as experimental and clinical experiences from different heart surgery centers worldwide.

The thoroughly updated Second Edition of this highly acclaimed text provides a concise yet comprehensive reference on the clinical and scientific principles of cardiovascular and thoracic anesthesia. The foremost authorities in cardiac anesthesia cover topics particular to this specialized field, such as extracorporeal circulation, transesophageal echocardiography, the physiology and pharmacology of anticoagulation, cardiac catheterization, invasive cardiology, and congenital heart disease. Ideal for residents, fellows, and practicing anesthesiologists, this important text provides comprehensive, practical guidance for all aspects of cardiac anesthesia.

Robotic Cardiac Surgery is a comprehensive guide to robotic/totally endoscopic cardiac surgery. The book is intended to provide in-depth information regarding the history of robotic surgical systems, their components and principles. It emphasizes patient selection, perioperative management, anesthesia considerations and management, operative techniques and management, postoperative care and results. Extensive, detailed photographs and illustrations of different kinds of robotic surgery are also included. It provides cardiac surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, and perfusionists with a comprehensive review of current robotic cardiac surgeries and related knowledge. Changqing Gao, MD, is a professor at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.

This textbook provides a succinct overview of cardiac surgery, with key concepts being emphasized throughout. An abundance of illustrations, intra-operative photographs, tables as well as information boxes, aids the reader to visualise, grasp and retain difficult concepts. The inclusion of evidence-based approaches to the management of a range of cardiac surgical conditions equips the reader with an understanding of how to overcome a variety of potentially tough clinical challenges. Concise Cardiac Surgery: A Complete Guide comprehensively covers a range of techniques used in cardiac surgery. It is therefore, an ideal resource for the trainee and practising cardiac surgeon seeking a practically focused text detailing how to apply the latest techniques and evidence-based approaches in their day-to-day practice.