Michael DeBakey Biography

A pioneer in surgery, American cardiovascular surgeon Michael DeBakey was a physician, scientist, and innovator, all rolled into one. He is the inventor of the Roller-pump that makes it possible to provide continuous supply of blood during operations. This invention was a milestone in cardiac surgery, as open-heart surgery would have been impossible without the use of this pump. Even as a young boy he knew that he wanted to be in the medical profession. Curious and intelligent from an early age, he had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and loved to invent things. This innate curiosity in him led him to invent many surgical devices later in his life as a medical doctor. Over a long career spanning over seven decades, Dr. DeBakey revolutionized the field of cardiology in ways too numerous to count. During his stint with the army, he helped to develop the mobile army surgical hospital (MASH) units which facilitated the fast transportation of wounded soldiers to surgical hospitals. Often regarded as one of the greatest surgeons of his time, he is credited to have performed over 60,000 operations. He was also famous for being called to treat world leaders like President Boris N. Yeltsin of Russia.