Powerful Pictures That Influenced Humanity

The scope of heart surgery has vastly increased since the introduction of the heart-lung machine in the 1950s. This machine pumps blood from the veins to the arteries without having to pass through the heart. Most of these machines oxygenate the blood, thus completely bypassing the lungs as well. By using this machine, the heart can be stopped and opened for up to four hours.

The first successful transplant took place on December 3, 1967, at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. A team of 30 surgeons, headed by Dr. Christian Barnard.The operation took around five hours and the new heart was only half the size of Washkansky’s. The operation was successful.

James Stanfield