Mayo Clinic Proceedings Legacy December 2014 Pioneers in Cardiac Surgery: The Mayo Gibbon Heart-Lung Bypass Machine This preliminary report shared the results from animal studies, but by May of that same year, Mayo Clinic had initiated use of the apparatus for human subjects and reported on the outcome in 8 cases.2 These patients had the following conditions: (1) ventricular septal defect, (2) Tetralogy of Fallot, or (3) persistent common atrioventricular canal. Four of the patients survived the surgery, one died shortly after the procedure, two died 3 hours postoperatively, and one died 6 days postoperatively.2 Mayo Clinic continued to study and develop successful surgical treatments in cardiology throughout the ensuing years. More than 60 years have passed since these first attempts, and success in cardiac surgery is directly related to these courageous research pioneers and patients. 1,2,3 This historical line of research in In the March 13, 1955, issue of The Proceedings cardiology also represents another successful of the Staff Meetings of the Mayo Clinic, Dr collaboration between the field of medicine John W. Kirklin and colleagues shared a and industry. International Business Machines preliminary report of their research from the (IBM) aided in the design and development of previous 3 years which tackled the challenges the Mayo Gibbon Heart-Lung Bypass of cardiac surgery. While other types of Machine.1,2,3 surgeries have their own impediments, cardiac surgery is dominated by the need to keep a References patient alive during the procedure while 1. Jones RE, Donald DE, Swan HJ, Harshbarger HG, maintaining the function of the circulatory Kirklin JW, Wood EH. Apparatus of the Gibbon type system. Hence, finding a way to divert blood for mechanical bypass of the heart and lungs; and oxygen flow away from the heart while preliminary report. Proc Staff Meet Mayo Clin. sustaining the patient’s life was a tremendous 1955;30(6):105-113. undertaking. In the article, many other 2. Kirklin JW, DeShane JW, Patri DE, et al. Intracardiac surgery with the aid of a mechanical pump attempts and divergent models were first oxygenator (Gibbon type): report of 8 cases. Proc discussed, and the authors then provided a Staff Meet Mayo Clin. 1955;30(10):201-206. detailed description and graphic schematics for 3. Kohn LH. Fifty years of open heart Surgery. the machine found most successful at Mayo Circulation. Clinic: The Mayo Gibbon “extracorporeal heart- http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/107/17/2168.fu lung apparatus for temporary exclusion of the ll. Accessed October 17, 2013. heart from circulation.”1 .