Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: I. Heroes and Mentors: Bridging the Past to the FutureIn preparing this address, I found myself retracing a familiar journey into the world of thoracic surgery. Like so many of you, I was drawn to this specialty by a handful of master surgeons who were, and still are, my heroes. During last year's outstanding presidential address, Keith Naunheim cited similar influences on his life and career and called the surgeons who inspired and mentored him “the stars, the studs, the cool guys.” I can identify with that, but because I practice in Texas, I prefer to think of these great surgeons as “cowboys.” Why cowboys? Because of their grit and courage, their unadorned honesty and character, and their relentless work ethic and rugged individualism, but also their prevailing commitment to serving their fellow man. In particular, I would like to pay homage to three Texas legends—three cowboys—not only for what each has meant to me personally but for the critical contributions each has made to our profession: Doctors Michael E. DeBakey, Denton A. Cooley, and E. Stanley Crawford. Although their contributions are legendary and better described elsewhere [1Cooley D.A. 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX2012Google Scholar, 2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar, 3Green S.Y. LeMaire S.A. Coselli J.S. History of aortic surgery in Houston.in: Chiesa R. Melissano G. Coselli J.S. Aortic surgery and anesthesia: “how to do it” III. Arti Grafich Colombo, Milan2008: 39-73Google Scholar], I would like to briefly relate some of the essence that characterized these great visionaries.Michael Elias DeBakey, MDHis sisters Lois and Selma tell a revealing story of how a very young Michael DeBakey, then still in preschool, was fascinated with birds. One day, his father happened upon the boy and was understandably concerned to see his son sitting on bloodstained hands next to an eviscerated blue jay. “I wanted to see what made it fly,” explained young Michael. Such was the probing mind and compelling curiosity of the great surgeon, even at such a tender age [2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar].True, Dr DeBakey could be tough—a sharp-eyed perfectionist. One time, his first wife Diana was attempting to sew a prom dress for a friend of their daughter, but soon Dr DeBakey commandeered the project from her, ripping out the stitching and redoing it himself. Years later, Diana was serving gumbo, one of DeBakey's favorite dishes, at a dinner party, and he told her, “You may not be able to sew, but you sure cook good gumbo.”Perhaps no doctor is more linked to the rise of to the rise of Michael E. DeBakey In a career more he was an of from to his in still a of a called the that the of surgery A J. is still to and of Dr DeBakey's on our profession: more on some the and on and of Michael E. DeBakey in his the in by and of of was one of the first to surgery DeBakey with Scholar], and in he the first for A in the of an DeBakey was the first to the of an in a for the of in even his was found on of In him the of was a of a and a of and the of with was the of the for in was cited as a by the of he the from of the and is to Dr DeBakey the of the of and that the to the of surgery was to with Cooley, Denton what has him so and to the of the of his what him and his to and the in he he was inspired by the that be it has D.A. and of Denton A. by Austin, Denton has me as in the of and in but was described as a the still me to think he on the University of such a is also of such a and an for that he is in such Dr the of the of the beloved Texas the on he has his with such and Keith Naunheim is Denton is a and by he was the the of the for his Dr would be the last to that he is S. Coselli and Denton A. the of the in Texas, by and of the the a Texas of Dr was the first surgeons to the that with at In of the that he and Dr the was but one One day, by and told and to the that the was no and it was by and to out how to the and in what of by then to and was and the Texas a the the that and one of these is of many on Dr of the a that could no be to many of may be he in E. and Dr DeBakey, Dr Cooley, and the for a that could for more even in with the first in the for to as a to and even for was in Dr DeBakey's at with from the was a of and linked by to a Dr it in from from Dr DeBakey's Dr for in it then out a for who more D.A. first of an and 5: Dr DeBakey to the in a because of the of good that it in he Dr of the from in a at the a that for at the Texas Dr DeBakey and Dr hands as Dr DeBakey a from the Denton A. A a Dr DeBakey the at the of the in and the of the Michael E. DeBakey on Dr DeBakey Dr with a similar and in the DeBakey of Denton A. and Michael E. DeBakey on at the of the and the of the DeBakey DeBakey Dr with in the DeBakey in of an by of and of of Stanley great of who is and for his contributions to aortic is Dr E. Stanley Crawford. In of him the of Aortic not but he and the of more and his in he out some aortic on During that time, Dr for his in the of aortic aortic and in with such as Coselli J.S. aortic and and by and aortic the Dr was of the a surgery and the for more and and he a of the of the an of and Scholar], with his son Dr in of the the each may and the that for their was the of the and that the it not only to the many with the but also to the and as Dr an so that could in the that was to the of this Stanley a of of the his of aortic he with his L. of the an of and Although this was in it an and is by from was a and the he made in as as the he are still to surgeons and to of the of his in he a he the of a him to on only was a surgeon, he was in and and to he to aortic I be to Dr for me the I as a was in and I not for Dr for very the one he to me and “You may to a that surgery. a young in for found a in a surgery then I with him and was to into the by the he his as he I and on attempting to I his by a in the Dr called out one last a the surgery for what out to be a not a and in the and later, an boy I and into my he “I wanted to you for my my in the the of the day, and that do work so be I as are of you, because of great surgeons like Michael DeBakey, Denton Cooley, and Stanley who to the of their and as has inspired and and our to their that thoracic surgery to be the of and of the of thoracic surgeons is to that the next also has such is to even the the a is a and our at our and of our into the is are to at the of and a and because the of our the are at the of the and a of in the to are the of the to a and one of the on are to be and of the that to as a a to our of this the a of of the of and for these and the of the is that our are in In the last from to from to from to and from of our to one in to the American of and one in three to the for in thoracic surgery from to has a in the of the last has as a of in thoracic surgery by by the of for the and and In the for the was in this to by the American of not an and this may be the of our with an and is the very for a as a of for our are in surgery of see that the and of the in is and that in is can a life of such as an with called many at and and are what could be as to is that and aortic are in the and that an surgery is the of with Although these an in our to are that the is very to a the and to more are to of thoracic surgery. In the last the American of to the of by the and the for these and as the work for the and the work for made in Although such to an is that our has as of a one of many a a and to our fellow man. has to that and are from our specialty because a has In the surgery the with in and of the work in a and the of a and and who an and of by in our in the and the for professional the of the was and is by the American also from are the that are for professional to for are in from the was in and is a of the of the of and the of professional is by the to at the for is by the for and and of each is by and by the of the how are from the of of by the surgery upon the of this in and has as a of that surgeons that the and of was has a and of our with a in work and practice and on the of the of and the has by the of the of as a for and in of to and of of by the and this was has to and from it would in a in the to of of at the for was in the of is is this a in to from with is on the that is then for by the the for and the for and the for the for is in in is the and as a of the for is of of of of the of a a of that may be in the for a of only from of of by the and Scholar, with is on the that is then for by the the for and the for and the for the for is in is the and as a of the for is of of the of a a of that may be in the for a of only in a what is to be in a of for by and on and for a of the by in of Scholar], made great in a that to such as from the the of critical and by and to and that more in for our made in more this a of and is but more is the and surgeons be a to the of of of and surgeons a and very that to I are at three to the from and the of the in this because of of is that the to has in Texas, and it can work In able to of our because to in the many of you our in that time, the Texas was so to out called in our to to a their and for of who for to the Texas from to 100,000 by the University of Texas Center in the has from to to the of University in Denton in world has to the A is that more from In more this has our and professional not be by D.A. and of Denton A. by Austin, was a the the and into the our our our contributions as of the has what still the of with the as in it is to that the is you at very are such as the of of the of the with an to as of has to these from such a to their is a of our and that it pay out in the of the American of and as their very such an to by to in our not to be for the to on this because of of the and because it the is no that the the of to be the of such as the is a that is and on has because it is with for as it one specialty may be for the to from to the as as to the to the is a to a one that and and into for are that young to the of the that in in as as and has to into the the as a with the to our I to you, the of the for me the of my life to you this as a sitting in a in at with Dr DeBakey, who that in his day, the that no he was his of to at their rise to the of our day, would do to and from these and the and that and at it is still our to the is still our to that of and to our our better found that in me pay homage to and with Dr favorite you can on the the to the Texas called of it and that you and for is a of of each life has a I. Heroes and Mentors: Bridging the Past to the FutureIn preparing this address, I found myself retracing a familiar journey into the world of thoracic surgery. Like so many of you, I was drawn to this specialty by a handful of master surgeons who were, and still are, my heroes. During last year's outstanding presidential address, Keith Naunheim cited similar influences on his life and career and called the surgeons who inspired and mentored him “the stars, the studs, the cool guys.” I can identify with that, but because I practice in Texas, I prefer to think of these great surgeons as “cowboys.” Why cowboys? Because of their grit and courage, their unadorned honesty and character, and their relentless work ethic and rugged individualism, but also their prevailing commitment to serving their fellow man. In particular, I would like to pay homage to three Texas legends—three cowboys—not only for what each has meant to me personally but for the critical contributions each has made to our profession: Doctors Michael E. DeBakey, Denton A. Cooley, and E. Stanley Crawford. Although their contributions are legendary and better described elsewhere [1Cooley D.A. 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX2012Google Scholar, 2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar, 3Green S.Y. LeMaire S.A. Coselli J.S. History of aortic surgery in Houston.in: Chiesa R. Melissano G. Coselli J.S. Aortic surgery and anesthesia: “how to do it” III. Arti Grafich Colombo, Milan2008: 39-73Google Scholar], I would like to briefly relate some of the essence that characterized these great visionaries.Michael Elias DeBakey, MDHis sisters Lois and Selma tell a revealing story of how a very young Michael DeBakey, then still in preschool, was fascinated with birds. One day, his father happened upon the boy and was understandably concerned to see his son sitting on bloodstained hands next to an eviscerated blue jay. “I wanted to see what made it fly,” explained young Michael. Such was the probing mind and compelling curiosity of the great surgeon, even at such a tender age [2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar].True, Dr DeBakey could be tough—a sharp-eyed perfectionist. One time, his first wife Diana was attempting to sew a prom dress for a friend of their daughter, but soon Dr DeBakey commandeered the project from her, ripping out the stitching and redoing it himself. Years later, Diana was serving gumbo, one of DeBakey's favorite dishes, at a dinner party, and he told her, “You may not be able to sew, but you sure cook good gumbo.”Perhaps no doctor is more linked to the rise of to the rise of Michael E. DeBakey In a career more he was an of from to his in still a of a called the that the of surgery A J. is still to and of Dr DeBakey's on our profession: more on some the and on and was one of the first to surgery DeBakey with Scholar], and in he the first for A in the of an DeBakey was the first to the of an in a for the of in even his was found on of In him the of was a of a and a of and the of with was the of the for in was cited as a by the of he the from of the and is to Dr DeBakey the of the of and that the to the of surgery was to with Cooley, Denton what has him so and to the of the of his what him and his to and the in he he was inspired by the that be it has D.A. and of Denton A. by Austin, Denton has me as in the of and in but was described as a the still me to think he on the University of such a is also of such a and an for that he is in such Dr the of the of the beloved Texas the on he has his with such and Keith Naunheim is Denton is a and by he was the the of the for his Dr would be the last to that he is S. Coselli and Denton A. the of the in Texas, by and of the the a Texas of Dr was the first surgeons to the that with at In of the that he and Dr the was but one One day, by and told and to the that the was no and it was by and to out how to the and in what of by then to and was and the Texas a the the that and one of these is of many on Dr of the a that could no be to many of may be he in E. and Dr DeBakey, Dr Cooley, and the for a that could for more even in with the first in the for to as a to and even for was in Dr DeBakey's at with from the was a of and linked by to a Dr it in from from Dr DeBakey's Dr for in it then out a for who more D.A. first of an and 5: Dr DeBakey to the in a because of the of good that it in he Dr of the from in a at the a that for at the Texas Dr DeBakey and Dr hands as Dr DeBakey a from the Denton A. A a Dr DeBakey the at the of the in and the of the Michael E. DeBakey on Dr DeBakey Dr with a similar and in the DeBakey of Denton A. and Michael E. DeBakey on at the of the and the of the DeBakey DeBakey Dr with in the DeBakey in of an by of and of of Stanley great of who is and for his contributions to aortic is Dr E. Stanley Crawford. In of him the of Aortic not but he and the of more and his in he out some aortic on During that time, Dr for his in the of aortic aortic and in with such as Coselli J.S. aortic and and by and aortic the Dr was of the a surgery and the for more and and he a of the of the an of and Scholar], with his son Dr in of the the each may and the that for their was the of the and that the it not only to the many with the but also to the and as Dr an so that could in the that was to the of this Stanley a of of the his of aortic he with his L. of the an of and Although this was in it an and is by from was a and the he made in as as the he are still to surgeons and to of the of his in he a he the of a him to on only was a surgeon, he was in and and to he to aortic I be to Dr for me the I as a was in and I not for Dr for very the one he to me and “You may to a that surgery. a young in for found a in a surgery then I with him and was to into the by the he his as he I and on attempting to I his by a in the Dr called out one last a the surgery for what out to be a not a and in the and later, an boy I and into my he “I wanted to you for my my in the the of the day, and that do work so be I as are of you, because of great surgeons like Michael DeBakey, Denton Cooley, and Stanley who to the of their and as has inspired and and our to their that thoracic surgery to be the of and of the of thoracic surgeons is to that the next also has such is to even the In preparing this address, I found myself retracing a familiar journey into the world of thoracic surgery. Like so many of you, I was drawn to this specialty by a handful of master surgeons who were, and still are, my heroes. During last year's outstanding presidential address, Keith Naunheim cited similar influences on his life and career and called the surgeons who inspired and mentored him “the stars, the studs, the cool guys.” I can identify with that, but because I practice in Texas, I prefer to think of these great surgeons as “cowboys.” Why cowboys? Because of their grit and courage, their unadorned honesty and character, and their relentless work ethic and rugged individualism, but also their prevailing commitment to serving their fellow man. In particular, I would like to pay homage to three Texas legends—three cowboys—not only for what each has meant to me personally but for the critical contributions each has made to our profession: Doctors Michael E. DeBakey, Denton A. Cooley, and E. Stanley Crawford. Although their contributions are legendary and better described elsewhere [1Cooley D.A. 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX2012Google Scholar, 2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar, 3Green S.Y. LeMaire S.A. Coselli J.S. History of aortic surgery in Houston.in: Chiesa R. Melissano G. Coselli J.S. Aortic surgery and anesthesia: “how to do it” III. Arti Grafich Colombo, Milan2008: 39-73Google Scholar], I would like to briefly relate some of the essence that characterized these great Michael Elias DeBakey, MDHis sisters Lois and Selma tell a revealing story of how a very young Michael DeBakey, then still in preschool, was fascinated with birds. One day, his father happened upon the boy and was understandably concerned to see his son sitting on bloodstained hands next to an eviscerated blue jay. “I wanted to see what made it fly,” explained young Michael. Such was the probing mind and compelling curiosity of the great surgeon, even at such a tender age [2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Scholar].True, Dr DeBakey could be tough—a sharp-eyed perfectionist. One time, his first wife Diana was attempting to sew a prom dress for a friend of their daughter, but soon Dr DeBakey commandeered the project from her, ripping out the stitching and redoing it himself. Years later, Diana was serving gumbo, one of DeBakey's favorite dishes, at a dinner party, and he told her, “You may not be able to sew, but you sure cook good gumbo.”Perhaps no doctor is more linked to the rise of to the rise of Michael E. DeBakey In a career more he was an of from to his in still a of a called the that the of surgery A J. is still to and of Dr DeBakey's on our profession: more on some the and on and was one of the first to surgery DeBakey with Scholar], and in he the first for A in the of an DeBakey was the first to the of an in a for the of in even his was found on of In him the of was a of a and a of and the of with was the of the for in was cited as a by the of he the from of the and is to Dr DeBakey the of the of and that the to the of surgery was to with sisters Lois and Selma tell a revealing story of how a very young Michael DeBakey, then still in preschool, was fascinated with birds. One day, his father happened upon the boy and was understandably concerned to see his son sitting on bloodstained hands next to an eviscerated blue jay. “I wanted to see what made it fly,” explained young Michael. Such was the probing mind and compelling curiosity of the great surgeon, even at such a tender age [2DeBakey L. DeBakey S. Michael E. DeBakey, M.D.: beloved brother, master mentor, compatible colleague, professional paragon.Methodist Debakey Cardiovasc J. 2009; 5: 49-56Google Dr DeBakey could be tough—a sharp-eyed perfectionist. One time, his first wife Diana was attempting to sew a prom dress for a friend of their daughter, but soon Dr DeBakey commandeered the project from her, ripping out the stitching and redoing it himself. Years later, Diana was serving gumbo, one of DeBakey's favorite dishes, at a dinner party, and he told her, “You may not be able to sew, but you sure cook good no doctor is more linked to the rise of to the rise of Michael E. DeBakey In a career more he was an of from to his in still a of a called the that the of surgery A J. is still to and of Dr DeBakey's on our profession: more on some the and on and DeBakey was one of the first to surgery DeBakey with Scholar], and in he the first for A in the of an DeBakey was the first to the of an in a for DeBakey the of in even his was found on of In him the of was a of a and a of and the of with was the of the for in was cited as a by the of he the from of the and is to Dr DeBakey the of the of and that the to the of surgery was to with Denton Cooley, Denton what has him so and to the of the of his what him and his to and the in he he was inspired by the that be it has D.A. and of Denton A. by Austin, Denton has me as in the of and in but was described as a the still me to think he on the University of such a is also of such a and an for that he is in such Dr the of the of the beloved Texas the on he has his with such and Keith Naunheim is Denton is a and by he was the the of the for his Dr would be the last to that he is the a Texas of Dr was the first surgeons to the that with at In of the that he and Dr the was but one One day, by and told and to the that the was no and it was by and to out how to the and in what of by then to and was and the Texas a the the that and one of these is of many on Dr of the a that could no be to many of may be he in E.
Source: The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
Author: Joseph S. Coselli
Institutions: Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center, Baylor College of Medicine
Language: English
Topic: History of Medical Practice
Subfield: Neurology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,200
OpenAlex ID: W2092019135