John H. Gibbon, Jr.
Quick Summary
John H. Gibbon, Jr. was an American surgeon who pioneered open-heart surgery. In 1953, he performed the first successful open-heart procedure using a heart-lung machine, a device that allows circulation and oxygenation of blood outside the body. This innovation enabled surgeons to operate on a still, dry heart, making previously inoperable procedures, such as repairing valvular disease and congenital heart defects, possible. Gibbon's groundbreaking work with the heart-lung machine, which he helped develop, revolutionized cardiac surgery and paved the way for numerous life-saving interventions.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- open-heart surgery
…was performed by American surgeon John H. Gibbon, Jr., in 1953. Gibbon used the procedure to close an atrial septal defect, a hole in the wall between the two atria (upper chambers) of the heart.
Read More…was performed by American surgeon John H. Gibbon, Jr., in 1953. Gibbon used the procedure to close an atrial septal defect, a hole in the wall between the two atria (upper chambers) of the heart.
Read More
history of medicineHeart surgeryThe next year John Gibbon, Jr., of Philadelphia brought to fulfillment the research he had begun in 1937; he used his heart–lung machine to supply oxygen while he closed a hole in the septum between the atria.
Read MoreThe next year John Gibbon, Jr., of Philadelphia brought to fulfillment the research he had begun in 1937; he used his heart–lung machine to supply oxygen while he closed a hole in the septum between the atria.
Read More
