Remembering a medical legend, with gratitude

In 1970, I was a very sick 1-year-old. I had been diagnosed as having a heart defect. I was taken to Houston to Texas Children's Hospital where a surgeon by the name of Dr. Denton Cooley performed what is known as a division and ligation of the right aortic arch. Dr. Cooley was trained by a Dr. Michael DeBakey. If not for him teaching Dr. Cooley about this procedure involving the aorta, I would not be here today.

So, I say, God Speed Dr. DeBakey. Thank you for all you did for humanity.

I read a book called "Hearts" which was about Dr.Michael DeBakey and his protege, Dr.Denton Cooley. My father encouraged me to read it when I wasn't too much into reading, and I read the entire book and it was very inspiring. I hope I am inspired to read a book at least once a month, but Dr.Debakey's inspiration of once-a-week reading a book is a tough call on me. But I hope to reach that goal one day. My heart to his.

May Dr.DeBakey's soul rest in peace.

A fan.

RIP dear old Friend!!!

Best Surgeon....Hands down. And he will be sorely missed

As a Lebanese American I am very proud of Dr. Debakey. Lebanons Government last week honored Dr. Debakey with the highest civilian award. Rest In Peace.

Great commentary! I'm from Houston, Tx and we're all very sad down here. He was an iconic figure in this city, but he will definiely be remembered and thankfully we showed him much appreciation before he was gone.

Dr. Gupta, Thank You for making me aware of this great man !!! I've now a new hero to add to my regrettably short list.

Dr. DeBakey perfomed my fathers triple bypass back in the mid-seventies when there were only three surgeons in the world doing the procedure. The impact it had on my childhood was immeasureable. My father went from invalid, with nearly constant, frightening debilitating angina, to a functioning person again. He lived to 79 years with good quality of life. I am not a blogger but I am compelled to share that Dr. DeBakey has always had my deepest respect and gratitude and I share your sentiment to him. Rest well, Sir.

In 1978, when I was 6, Dr. DeBakey flew in from Texas to New Jersey, to Fort Dix airport, during a BLIZZARD, and the military plowed the road and he came to Deborah Heart and Lung Hospital and "fixed" my heart, with my own heart muscle tissue – 1st time ever doing it that way!!! Thank you Dr. DeBakey for my life as I now have 2 daughters of my own to live for!

I am a physician, and my father (a surgeon) knew DeBakey. I thank Dr. Gupta for his beautifully wirtten piece. Unlike much of the tabloid news that is inflicted on us, this is a story that deserves to be displayed prominently on CNN's front page.

You hit the nail right on the head Dr. Gupta – great comments about a legend.

What a moving tribute to and synopsis of a wonderful man of sciende and medicine. Thank you, Dr. Gupta for your words of honor.

If it weren't for coronary bypass surgery, my 81 year old father might have died at 55 (when he had to have a quadruple bypass). Instead he's seeing his 8 grandchildren grow up and he and my mother have had the gift of 26+ years together and will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in September. Thank you Dr. DeBakey for making that possible.

1996 CABG3X – Thanks Dr. DeBakey!

The most heroic doctor I ever met was Dr. Thor Sundt, a neurosurgeon who specialized in cerebrovascular surgery at the Mayo Clinic. He was well known for operating on cases almost everyone else thought inoperable, usually with surprisingly effective results.

At the height of his career and at a relatively young age he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable bone cancer. For the next decade or so he continued to operate, even though he had multipe spinal compression fractures which led to constant pain, and had to wear a bulky back brace to prevent catastrophic injury to his spinal cord. Often during a long case he would lie down on a cot in the O.R. while his assistants did part of the procedure, until his skills were needed during a critical moment.

He died at the relatively young age of 62 with many accomplishments to his name and numerous patients who owed him their lives and health. All of us who worked or trained at Mayo during his career were inspired by the bald former Marine with the ramrod straight bearing who was kind to patients and respectful of residents and colleagues, and who never gave up even when faced with adversity.

What an inspirational story! Doctors like this don't come by easy...the dedication Dr.DeBakey had sounds amazing. With a lifetime of contributions to the world of medicine, he deserves a peaceful passing and a passageway to eternal comfort. God bless his family.

Truly a legend and a pioneer.

Living in Houston as a small child, I grew up watching the moon launches and hearing the news about the acheivements of this great man. I'm glad that was alive to see it.

as a current surgical resident, i too was saddened by Dr. DeBakey's passing last week...truly a legend. I never had the honor to meet him personally, but feel that I have been touched by him directly on a daily basis when I use some the surgical instruments that he pioneered in my own OR (some even named after him).

thank you Dr. Gupta for this nice little article in remembrance of him. i am surprised that his passing did not make more news...in the medical world, he was a living legend, everyone knew of him across the world. his work ethic, ingenuity, and eternal inquisitiveness is an incredible inspiration.

As a medical librarian I was glad to see mention of Dr. DeBakey's efforts to help the nation's medical libraries in the preceding article. I work in what is known as a Regional Medical Library, and DeBakey, was a major factor in establishing this valuable resource in this country.
To read more about Dr. DeBakey's work for medical libraries, please visit the National Library of Medicine's web site.

Thanks for sharing. We don't hear neough about the amazing things peope do which lead to the improvement of our every day lives.

I appreciated the thoughtful article by Dr. Gupta. I too trained at Baylor College of Medicine and had the honor of meeting with Dr. DeBakey on several occasions when I was a medical student. We talked about how he developed his LVAD and some of the science involved in the design or discussed his recent travels to Russia to aid in the coronary bypass-surgery for Boris Yeltsin. He inspired an entire generation of physicians and scientists to devote their lives and energy to improve the lives of others. He will be missed, but he has left an important challenge to the rest of us to continue his legacy.

Wow, Is it me or we need to revisit our priorities as a media oriented society. This man single-handedly created a way to save thousands of lives yet his death passes almost unnoticed. On the other hand we have a rampant craze about a custody settlement between two people whose contribution to society is not the one you want your 7 year old to hear about. Interesting, huh?

I was a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine in 1994-98. During our surgical rotation we got to meet with Dr. DeBakey in groups of 4 or 5 for about 1/2 hour. His office was on a top floor of Methodist Hospital and was basically an enormous suite. The walls were adorned with life size portraits of him with every president since Eisenhower. We sat at an enormous ornate dark wooden table with a large glass bottle with a ship in it. I recall some answers to our questions. One of us asked "What is your biggest regret." His answer "I wasted too much time." Asked if he had any hobbies, he answered "Reading orthopedic journals and exercising." I also recall stories of self-taught musical prowess at Tulane and that he encouraged us to always work hard.

Our classes were in the DeBakey building, where there was a giant portrait of him. Our first day of classes we all posed prostrate before he legend's portrait. Stories abounded of his legend. Among the most famous was his infamous feud with Dr. Denton Cooley, a rival surgeon associated with UT Houston Medical School literally across the street from us. He also allegedly had his own private elevator, and if he used another elevator, would make everyone else exit (I always doubted this particular legend!) He is also rumored to have fired residents on the spot for what others would generally view as minor infractions, and to run a brutal ship. One legend that I can affirm is the man had huge hands. While sitting at the table with him I observed his fingers to be literally twice as long as mine.

James Henderson, MD
Baylor College of Medicine class of 1998

I appreciate Dr. Gupta's comments about Dr. DeBakey, a legend upon whose shoulders many of us stand. Yet, Dr. Gupta should know that the coronary artery bypass graft or CABG, for which DeBakey helped pioneer, does not, in fact, except for one type of coronary artery disease left main stem), prevent heart attacks or allow patients to live longer. Most studies suggest that the CABG procedure mostly decreases the pain of angina but does not prolong life or prevent heart attacks. It is important for physicians, such as Dr. Gupta, not to propagate medical myths.

This has been a few days of great loss. Not only did we lose Dr.DeBakey, but also Dr.Omayya. A Rhodes scholar, and a great nuerosurgeon who, like many other geniuses of our time, changed the lives of many.
He created the Omayya reservoir that for the first time allowed delivery of chemotherapeutic agents directly into the brain, helped create the center for injury prevention, and provided a prototype for many devices that saved countless people. He also delighted his patients and their families with his operatic performances.
These men and their legacies are great reminders of how America became the great country that it is through it's immigrants and their children.

I can tell you what to look for. I don't have to look very far, my father is a physician and has cared for people all his life. Dr. Robert L. Leeser, MD. He hasbeen a dedicated lifelong, familay practice physican for the last 45 years.

He has never pioneered a life saving preocedure like Dr. DeBakey, but he has lived a life dedicate to caring for and improving the health of people in his community. I have never met anyone more respected by his fellow collegues, patients and people where he lives.

A quality physician is someone who really cares. A genuine interest in you -the patient or friend, either emotionally or physically. Of couse they should be competent, knowledgeable, and have strong work ethic. But a physician who takes an overall interest in how you really feel is a special person, an irreplaceable person, truely a blessing to Humankind.

I am a medical student in San Francisco.. and for the past several says every surgeon I talk to has expressed their shock at not only De Bakey's death, but his enormous accomplishments. As a young aspiring surgeon, I have grown up in a different era, one that - regrettably– does not yet fully appreciate his contributions to medicine. But everyday in the operating room, when we use the DeBakey cauterizer thousands of people are treated in his name.
Dan Perez, MS3
UC San Francisco

what a great man and inspiration! truly an innovator and medical genius. thanks and rest in peace!

I am a veterinary student, and even though he was a doctor for humans, DeBakey's inventions, procedures, and legend made their way into the very halls that I study in now. You know you're a rock star when a pair of forceps that surgeons use every day is named after you; DeBakey was just such a star. Although I never had the chance to meet him, he's a guiding light for me in my own pursuits.

This was truly and outstanding man and yes we need to hear more things about the GOOD people in this world.
My father in-law had his first heart attack at age 50, had a triple bypass

I remember hearing about Dr. Debakey at an early start in my career, I wanted to one day work with the GREAT!!!
If it weren't for Dr. Debakey I wouldn't have the great career that I have now as an open heart surgical technician. Thank you for your innovation and your brilliance! I just did a heart transplant last Sunday and informed the surgeons of Dr. Debakey's passing and then the stories of this great man and of course the rivalry with Dr. Cooley. May he rest in peace.

Dr. DeBakey, was unmistakeably one of the greatest surgeons out there. My uncle is a Cardiac Surgeon and when you are standing in the OR and you hear 'pass me the DeBakey clamp' you know he was no ordinary physician. Whether CABG saves lives or not is a topic for Surgical Grand Rounds, not CNN(in my humble opinion). I wish every generation of physicians could boast someone like DeBakey.

This man was outstanding, yes we definately need to hear more about the GOOD people of this world. I think everyone of us has in one way or another been touched by this man. My father in-law had his 1st heart attack at age 50. He had a triple bypass and lived to 74.
His dad not having access to such wonderful healthcare passed from a heart attack at age 42.
This man has touched many peoples lives..... in a good way.

I too have had the benefit of bypass surgery, but in the femoral artery of my leg. That was six years ago and my surgeon was phenominal. I think we need to show more media recognition to not only the doctors but all of the medical staff and maybe our kids would aspire to be like them. I thank Dr. DeBakey and all of the wonderful medical personnel who have kept me (age 64) in great health and even saved me at times from close calls with death.

If not for Dr. DeBakey, I probably would have lost my father 14 years ago. He had to have 6 bypasses. Thanks to Dr. DeBakey's pioneering efforts, my dad's surgery was successful. He and my mom are getting ready to celebrate their 64th (yes 64th) wedding anniversary. RIP, Dr. DeBakey!

As the mom of a 4-year old with many complicated heart defects-I also wanted to express my gratitude for such an amazing man. He lead the way for so many life-saving procedures.
We owe so much for the self-less doctors that have spent their lives helping all of us!!!

God bless Dr. De Bakey! Amazing what one individual can accomplish with dedication.

Thank you for remembering Dr. DeBakey; and speaking as an outsider who's not in the medicine field, I find his achievements, accolades, and inventions to be the most influential which has literally affected thousands of lives directly, and countless more indirectly. However, it saddens me that Tony Snow's death – as tragic as it is – receives far more spotlight in the media.

And I work in the media.

In today's world, we look for role models and individuals to emulate, Dr. deBakey was such a man. To his family, friends, and many admirers worldwide, we honor his great works and humanity. The United States was privileged to have this shining light in the medical community for nearly a century. Rest well, your many labors done on this earth.

I never knew of this doctor but sure glad to learn about him now.Also nice to see the gratitude from the people that are helped directly by Dr.Debakey.

but alas, my father died of cancer and there was not a single doctor in the whole world that offered a little hope because the case was complex.Wish there would be one doctor in oncology dept, like Dr.Debakey

When I was 6, in 1972, it was discovered that I had a Coarctation of my aorta. I can't remember the surgeon's name, but I was operated on in the Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital using a technique Dr. De Bakey developed. I am alive today because of his amazing work.

Thank you, Doctor.

I remember as a medical student learning to use the DeBakey pick ups during surgery...
Years later I was walking for my interview to become a surgery resident, and I remember seen Dr DeBakey's name decorating a hallway at Baylor Medical center.
I didn't get to meet him in person, but I felt a a tremendous satisfaction that I walked the same hallway sas somebody I admired so much and who has inspired several generations of surgeons.

The comments Dr. Henderson made were, in fact, based on truth. As great a man as Dr. DeBakey was, he was also a petty tyrant in many ways. This seems to be more acceptable among towering scientists, doctors, or researchers than it would be among towering politicans or educators. I am exceedingly grateful for the many advances Dr. DeBakey pioneered, but I know from personal experience that the great years of accomplishment by the two competing teams in Houston could have been even greater had "cooperation" been as important as "recognition". I must wonder how many present day surgeons who as residents were exposed to Michael DeBakey's tyrannical OR style have bent over backwards, as I have, to be gracious and generous to *all* members of the surgical team?

Five weeks ago at Houston's Methodist Hopsital, Dr. Debakey's protege and colleague, Dr. Lawrie, performed a triple bypass on my husband. Thank you. Thank you, Thank you.

While in hospital, we asked if Dr. DeBakey eer came around. The staff told us that he and his scooter could be seen prowling the halls checking on 'his people.' We need more like him and his staff.

I am a new RN working in the Cardiac Special Care Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Everyday, our hospital performs surgery that once was unheard of and unimaginable...until pioneers like Michael DeBakey imagined them and tried them and perfected them. Without visionaries like him, hundreds and thousands of people who are living fulfilling lives today would be dead. Just like Curie and Salk, visionary doctors such as DeBakey see closed doors as challenges to be overcome. We owe so much to him and others like him. What better way to thank him than to improve our own personal health and strive to encourage healthy living in others. Thank you for reminding us all of someone who paved the way for what we at St. Thomas and other heart hospitals do every day...save and improve lives.

When my uncle, the late Judge Frank Johnson Jr, was nominated for FBI director by President Jimmy Carter , he had to go for a complete physical. His doctor in Montgomery found an abdominal aortic anyurism. he asked his dr who the best was for the surgery and without hesitation he said Dr. DeBakey so with in 48 hours my uncle was in the operating room with Dr DeBakey. He came through with flying colors and became life long friends with the good Doctor. He had to turn down the FBI because recuperation was going to take several months but he often said the nomination and Dr DeBakey saved his life. He was wonderful!! Roseanna

While the monumental accomplishments of Dr. DeBakey are a legion and his contributions to cardiac surgery numerous, he was not the man who pioneered the coronary artery bypass technique. That distinction belongs to Dr. Rene Favolaro of Argentina. His pioneering work was done at the Cleveland Clinic an quickly adopted by the Baylor team and cardiac surgeons around the world to the great benefit of mankind. Dr. Debakey was a precise surgeon and I am confident would want his accomplishments remembered precisely.

I look for a doctor who will take the time to listen to questions and answer them. I look for a doctor who doesn't seem rushed - who doesn't have his hand on the doorknob as I'm trying to get an answer to a question or an explanation of procedure. And, I want a doctor who explains my options - ALL of my options when I'm faced with a decision on my medical care. I also want a doctor who will stand up and fight when the insurance company rejects a medication or a test that he feels is medically necessary.

Dr, Gupta,

Thank you so much for taking the time to honor Dr. DeBakey. I was reading the commentary from one, of what I imagine was thousands of students taught by Dr. DeBakey. He mentioned the myths told about him. I just wanted to clarify some of those myths.

It is true that he had his own elevator and it is true that if he needed the elevator, “an assistant” (a rather large formidable man who I would imagine had been a bodyguard at another time in his life) would come and clear the elevator by saying. “Dr. Debakey needs this elevator”. I know this because I was on one the elevator once. Some people were shocked they had to get off. I remember telling one of the other elevator riders who he was, what he did and feeling this incredible pride to work in the same institution he represented. I understood that his time was more valuable than mine because he was saving lives and teaching others to do so as well. It is not only his accomplishments that are so important, but how many students and faculty he may have inspired to future greatness. I suspect many of them will become the Medical Leaders of the future.

Dear Dr. Gupta,

It is so nice in this day and age of far too few real heroes to read your still-in-awe tribute to such a fascinating man. He certainly sounds worthy of your high praise, and I'd love to learn more about him.

I very much admire Dr. DeBakey for his professional expertise and intellect, but I especially admire his personal dedication to the never-ending quest for knowledge throughout his journey. I loved reading that he devised the ventricular assist machine when he was in his 90s!!!

How wonderful and inspiring that he didn't decide he was "old" and just sit around waiting for "the day" to come. He's a great inspiration and reminder to all of us that advanced physical age doesn't necessarily mean a decline in intellectual ability. We should always try to keep our minds active and stimulated.

I'm sure there are literally many millions worldwide who owe a great debt of gratitude (and their or their loved ones' lives) to Dr. DeBakey. Like you, I wish him peaceful rest now. Thank you for sharing about this fascinating man, Dr. Gupta.

Although DeBakey was a great surgeon, Yasargil is the greatest living surgeon and was when DeBakey was still alive.

I have read about this genius in my textbooks. Let me here express my sympathy for the death of this great man and doctor. I am very young to judge his career, but he was very big to influence lives of thousands of people. This great scientist proposed the classification of aortic dissection. Later this classification took his name (DeBakey I, II, III). And I am still asking, why do these people have to die when all they do during their lives is save lives?

Lebanon, the US and the Arab world have lost a great man..a Pioneer!

RIP Dr. Dabaghy or Debakey (US spelling)

As a medical student rotating at Methodist in 1985, I witnessed a lung/heart transplant by a team of surgeons in the OR. At the time of finishing the sutures of the main vessels, he walked into the OR. The lead surgeon moved to the side and he placed his hands on the heart, and then cleaned them on the front of his surgical gown. He then step out and gave an interview to ABC network. As the only useless person in the OR, I was asked to point out the abnormalities in the X-rays that were in the OR for the camera.

I met him in several other times, and drove him once when visiting a medical school in Mexico. He was a man with many contradictions, but with great forward thinking. Medical advances occur because of people like him.

I attended highschool at the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions. I've known since I was 6 that I belonged in the medical field, and I wasn't much older then that when I learned of Dr. DeBakey and his amazing impact on medicine. in 2000 when I was a senior in high school, I was working a clinical rotation on the med-surg floor of the Michael E. DeBakey VA medical center in Houston when I had the profound honor of meeting him. When it came to be my turn to ask a question all I could think to say was how amazing he was and 'what inspires you?' To my surprise this incredible man answered with a simple 'you' and a smile, and continued on about his day as nothing had ever happened... while I was in such awe of him that I don't think I continued on about my day for at least a week!
His love for teaching and learning continue to inspire me to this day.

God Bless you good Doctor, rest your soul, you deserve it!

Thank you Dr DeBakey for how you have changed and improved the lives of thousands. Hard to understand how this great physician who created awesome life saving procedures failed to win the Nobel Prize.

I had a heart attack nearly 4 years ago. Dr. Michael DeBakey undoubtedly saved my life with his pioneering procedures. Thank you, Sir. Godspeed to you.

It is hearwarming to see your tribute to Dr. DeBakey. The comments posted by folks who knew him or knew of his reputation bring back memories dating back to the 1970's when I worked as an adminstrative assistant for some leading Cardiologists and Cardiovascular surgeons in a hospital in the Southeast. It has been a long time, but as I recall, the doctors for whom I worked, who themselves were innovative leaders in the field, referred some cases to Dr. DeBakey and Dr. Cooley.

The comments about DeBakey's personality bring back some colorful memories of the doctors I worked for, especially one beloved and brilliant surgeon who was one of the original founders, as I recall, of the clinic. He, too, could seem like a tyrant, but those that knew him knew that deep down he was a very caring individual.

And I will never forget the day that one of our patients, on whom lesser doctors might have given up hope, was discharged home after an extensive stay in ICU. Had the doctors in our clinic, one cardiologist in particular, not gone the extra mile to use new and innovative treatments that ultimately brought about the patient's recovery, this patient, who was a fairly young man at the time, probably would not have survived.

Personalities aside, God love these doctors for their brilliance, tenacity, and ultimate contributions!

As a Lebanese American and with all the negative perceptions about arab americans in the media, I am so proud to have someone as Dr. DeBakey shed some positive light about Lebanese-Americans.

I once witnessed Dr DeBakey perform a heart surgery. From my vantage point in the gallery I could say that the patient's life was in the best of hands. The procedure was almost bloodless! Spectacular and awesome! Godspeed, Dr DeBakey...

I, too, grew up in Southeast Texas listening to stories about Dr. Michael Debakey. While taking nothing away from his great legacy and humanitarian spirit, I'd like to address the comment that said we need one like him in every generation - we have them! Every doctor that answers a call at 2 a.m. from a panicked patient or soothes a child who is afraid, every nurse that actually nurtures, every technician that keeps up with a bewildering crush of technical advances, and every medic who saves the lives of our military injured is as big a hero as Dr. Debakey. Every teacher that spends their own money to bring books and school supplies to a classroom sadly lacking is a hero. They are all around us, every day. The only difference is that their contributions are in a more limited arena, and don't include spectacular media events like heart transplants. Dr. Debakey was indeed an inspiration, but I wonder who HIS inspirations were because someone taught him well!

I'm from Houston and work in the medical field as well, work at the Michael E Debakey Veterans Affairs hospital and I cried when I heard he passed, he is a great hero of mine. It is truely sad that he passed (but it is a fate we all know is coming), and the stories of exiting the hospital elevators are true. You were expected to leave the elevator (like on the Devil Wears Prada) if he walked into your elevator, he also had a fireman's elevator key at Methodist to use in the elevators that would let him get to his floor without stopping at the other floors.

The thing I'm most sad about is that Dr. Debakey knew so much medical truth but not truth of God, which is ultimately the kind of truth that saves your life physically and for eternity (ironic isn't it?). Search for the truth people, being an incredible person is not what is needed for eternal life. Investigate who God is, find the truth about Jesus.

I am a new RN working in the Cardiac Special Care Unit at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville. Everyday, our hospital performs surgery that once was unheard of and unimaginable…until pioneers like Michael DeBakey imagined them and tried them and perfected them. Without visionaries like him, hundreds and thousands of people who are living fulfilling lives today would be dead. Just like Curie and Salk, visionary doctors such as DeBakey see closed doors as challenges to be overcome. We owe so much to him and others like him. What better way to thank him than to improve our own personal health and strive to encourage healthy living in others. Thank you for reminding us all of someone who paved the way for what we at St. Thomas and other heart hospitals do every day…save and improve lives.

thankyou Dr.Debakey for teaching the doctors of all over the world and teaching them to save lives including mine. RIP till eternity....thank you

Dr Gupta -

I was 18 when my father was sent to Huston for an aortic bypass with Dr Debakey. Back then (1973) this was a very serious procedure done by a very few.

My dad was a juvenile diabetic and a lifelong smoker so the damage to his heart and circulatory system was too great and he passed away within 24 hours after the surgery.

Dr Debakey was with my mother after my dad's passing when she called me at college and with great compassion, he spent a great deal of time on the phone with me explaining what had happened and expressing his sorrow for our loss. I could tell it was a great loss for him too. He lived to cheat death out of just one more patient.

His words still ring in my ears and I will always remember the kindness he showed me when other surgeons would have just walked away from a case gone bad.

Rest in peace Dr Debakey – I'll always remember you.

Thank you Dr. Gupta for the wonderful article. Because of the pioneering work of Dr. DeBakey my mother is still alive today. It's nice to hear and read about REAL people who cared enough to make a difference in our lives.

It always amazes me how our society can hold up steroid-popping athletes, ditzy celebrities, and the like as people to admire, or emulate while a man like Dr. DeBakey lives and dies without much ado. He is the kind of man we should all strive to be more like. Excellence, drive, initiative, the desire to better oneself, and working to make the world better for having been in it. That, to me, is a real hero.

My dad had a heart attack 16 years ago and a recent bypass. He is alive today because of the work of DeBakey and other medical professionals that have learned and use his inventions and procedures.

As for what I look for in a physician. Obviously, competency but also important is the willingness/ability to listen to me, work with me, and value our partnership in maintaining my health.

I believe your question was, "So, how do you find the best surgeon or doctor and what qualities do you look for?"

Look for the type of doctor that if you met them outside the medical profession you would say, "this person has a lot of common sense." After 12 years of critical care nursing experience this is the simple conclusion to which I've come. Dr. Gupta has this quality and his commentary is always right on, which is an extremely rare find in television.

Gillian

My mom was Denton Cooley's scrub nurse for a couple of years. When I was a kid she would tell me about the gentle rivalry between Cooley and DeBakey, but that she had fondness for both.

In October 1996 I was working at Baylor College of Medicine in the IT department. I got a call to go to Methodist and help Dr. Debakey with a video conference to Russia. This was in a time when the Internet was just growing out of it's academic phase. Dr. Debakey had a long association with NASA and NASA was sponsoring a virtual conference with Moscow State University's medical school. Debakey had a very nicely equipped video conference room with a big NASA sticker on the wall behind the chairs. He was 88 at the time, an Internet pioneer! Moscow had only a 128kb link at the time, for the WHOLE CITY, and we were trying to do video over it! Anyway, it worked out pretty well, we had several sessions and I got to meet the legend several times. He was at the time President of Baylor and went on after 30 years at it to be President Emeritus. The best part was that I got to work in his inner offices, at night due to the time difference, so nobody except us were around, and every wall in every office and hall was covered with pictures and memorabilia of all the famous people he had operated on, kings, presidents, and bejeweled tokens of their appreciation. It was quite eye opening.

Turns out the video conferences were prepping the Russians for a visit by Debakey and his entire entourage to visit Moscow in a C-130 along with his entire operating theater, MASH style, to operate on the then president of Russia, Boris Yeltsin.

I have a picture shaking Dr. Debakey's hand and it's one of my favorite souveneers of 32 years in business. For years after this when I would see Dr. Debakey in the hall he would *briefly* greet me by name. His memory and courtesy were legendary.

Years later I ended up interviewing for a job at NASA and had this incident on my resume, and it was well known. I got the job and consider Debakey at least partly responsible for it.

You will be missed, Dr. Debakey. The world needs more like you.

Dr. DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley are the best. In 1958, they were still partners in developing the heart lung machine and perfecting pediatric heart surgery. I recall being examined by them both, and realized they were to play a special role in my life. Subsequently, Dr. Cooley corrected an atrial septal defect in my 7-year old heart at Texas Children's Hospital. I have been told I was the 68th child to have had open-heart surgery, and I will always be thankful for their skill, talent and dedication.

Dr. DeBakey was an inspiration to all – both patients and physicians.

Tragically, today’s graduates of American medical schools have no interest in following in his footsteps.

http://www.sts.org/documents/pdf/sts.news.summer.2006.pdf

The hours are too long, the challenges are too great, and the responsibilities are too onerous. And then, after many years of arduous training, the Medicare program pays a heart surgeon less for performing one of the life-saving procedures described above than a dentist charges to cap a tooth in the office.

One of the last giant redwoods of medicine has fallen. There will never be another like him.

I too read with a sense of loss of the death of Dr. Michael Debakey. I can't remember when he wasn't pioneering in medicine because he was around all my life.

I am a Polio survivor who still sleeps in an iron lung. I have watched the progress in medicine with keen interest in the years since my Polio in1953. Dr. DeBakey was one of the best. He was right there with Dr. George Garrison.

I know now heaven has a learned new addition!
Martha in OK

We owe a lot to Dr. DeBakey. Where would our hearts be without him. Thank you, doctor, for helping keep our families around a little longer than they ever would have been, without you. 99 years is a good time if we can't have forever.

How blessed we were to have such a man live at the same time as us!

As a medical student in England I remember holding onto the DeBakey, not knowing the inventor of the instrument was alive & well. Later as a member of the Faculty at Baylor I remember getting a Christmas card which it turned Dr DeBakey sent out to all the faculty. It brought a smile to my face, even though I knew he didnt know me from adam. He had a fearsome reputation and wielded power of life and death over patients and staff (metaphorically) alike, not always handled in a good way. Regardless, he left his mark, and as a Family Physician reminds me that with all the problems health care faces today, it remains an honorable profession.

I'm inspired to know that those who live for the greater good of humanity are never forgotten. They live forever in our hearts, with our struggles to overcome our inadequacies vis-a-vis the obstacles posed by our immediate environment. Memories will linger on in admiration a la ALEXANDER FLEMING-PENICILIN. ADIEU

Thank you Dr. Gupta for remembering Dr. Deabkey.

I was stunned last week that his passing was so muted compared to the other public passing last week. Souls may be equal though when one is measured by accomplishments... MASH units, surgical tools, heart procedures, teaching other surgeons... all innovated by one surgeon!!! Shame on the press.

On a personl note, I had open heart surgery in Oct. 2006, It involved 2 valves and the aorta... there were complications and I was definitely disheartened once MRSA showed up too. Upon reading the Times article on Dr. Debakey's own surgery at 97.. and his complications... well, if they could happen to him, with the best care and best cardiac minds around him.... then I realized how common complications can be and it changed my outlook!!! Thank you Dr. Debakey!!!

Thank you Dr. Gupta for your beautiful story. I first learned of Dr. DeBakey while I was a student nurse in Missouri. Our St. John's School of Nursing.. we were a big fan club for Dr. DeBakey. My own husband owes his life to a surgical procedure pioneered by Dr. DeBakey, cardiac artery bypass graft. Thanks to Dr. Debakey, many people are living long productive lives. He is still my hero.

What a nicely little article from Dr. Gupta. I wish we had more people like Dr. DeBakey in this world. He was truly a great surgeon. What we need to remember is to appreciate the work he did for humanity.

In 1972 my brother, who had a "hole in the heart" from birth was operated upon in Houston by Dr Denton Cooley. My brother was then 31 years old and was a research scholar at Chapel Hill NC. I flew in from India to be with him for the surgery. Dr Cooley was trained by Dr DeBakey and I remember how Dr DeBakey's name ,in those days, was uttered with reverence by the hospital staff and by Dr Cooley, who himself was an extremely competent surgeon. My brother has had a healthy and very productive life since then and continues to do so even now. Thank you Dr Debakey and Dr Cooley!

What qualities do I look for in a physician and how do I find him/her? When my internist of many years made the decision to retire, I asked my lung specialist for the names of some people he would recommend. Because he knows me as a patient as well, he knew I need someone who will give me the "straight" while respecting my own knowledge. Some people want a take-charge kind of physician, others want someone fuzzy-warm; I wanted someone who will be willing to discuss treatments while staying open to alternatives.

I am very happy with my current internist. He keeps up on current news, but he also is aware of where his own knowledge ends and when to move me on to someone with greater expertise. When a person is truly comfortable with his physician, he is able to communicate – and diagnosis is where medicine really starts.

My mother was operated on in 1963, by Dr. Denton Cooley. I was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the same home town of Dr. Michael Debakey. My mother was born with 2 holes in her heart and her arota on the wrong side of ther heart. They told her she would not live past 5 years old. She lived to be 72 years old, had two sons which they said wasn't possible. Back then they used aluminum to sew up the holes in her heart. When she had exrays you could see the stiching. At the time of her death the only thing that could be picked up was her third pacemaker. So thank you Dr. Debakey for your teachings and your technology. If it weren't for you, I would have never had a wonderful and loving mother!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A man who has done so much to improve the human condition & CNN barely made a mention of his passing. I'm glad someone finally stepped up to the plate & offered up some due respect, acknowledgment & appreciation.

RIP Dr. DeBakey & thank you.

Even in 'passing,' Dr. DeBakey uplifted this world through the first-hand accounts of those who remember his profound presence and recount his contributions. And again, uplifted through the inspiration received by so many others who learn about such a man and take his presence forward into our day.

Dr. BeBakey's life is a demonstration that even one person's love and sacrifice that can transform our hearts. In the end, it may be only this quality of goodness that can 'save us'.

I also grew up in TX and new of both Dr DeBakey and Cooley. My grandmother, who adopted me, got to see her three great-grandchildren reach adulthood because of these two men. She passed in our home, at the age of 93 because she was the 3rd person in TX to receive an angioplasty-an experimental procedure at the time. She went on to have 6 more, as catheters improved and stents became available. At 70, she was told by a family cardiologist that she should be making plans for her death. She walked out or stormed out of the office and called me, the family nurse clinical specialist, that everyone calls when they are sick. A trip to Houston and she lived for 23 more years. Thank you to two great heroes, from my home state.

I wanted to go into the medical field but never made it. Growing up I have heard of this great Surgeon "Michael DeBakey" and I was always inspired by his craftmanship. What a great soul to be a surgeon. People like him come to this earth once in a century. God bless and thank you Dr. Gupta for this article.

I, too, am grateful for this physician's contributions. Many of my family members have benefited from his pioneering ways – because they recieved life -saving bypass surgery. I agree we often to not pay homage to the right things or people in our society – until it's either too late or we give them little ink or air time. That is such a same. It's human beings like Dr. Debakey that give us more life to live and use time, mind and hands so magnificently. May God welcome him and may he rest in peace. Well done, doctor.

Thank you for this wonderful piece. It was inspiring and informative and one hopes that CNN will find the thousands of other remarkable souls out there whose stories deserve telling (before death even) rather than spend their considerable resources on Brittany, Kobe, etc.

One other thing that Dr. Debakey did that has helped to save thousands of lives was as a medical student in the 1930s he co – wrote an article with Dr. Oschner identifying cigarette smoking as a cause of lung cancer. Prior to WWI, cigarette smoking and lung cancer were relatively rare. After our troops were introduced to the new habit of smoking, there was an dramatic increase in lung cancers seen approximately 15 years after the end of the war. Dr. Debakey and his mentors correctly identified the cause as tobacco use. The surgeon general would take 35 years to confirm these findings.
We have seen the end of one of the great minds of human history.
Bravo for a life well lead!

In my immediate family – with hereditary heart disease – we have had 6 CABG surgeries. Thanks to Dr. Debakey and people following him, three children have been able to grow up with their parents, and (so far) 100 years of marriage have been celebrated. We are so grateful!

I had my first cabg when I was 36 years old. I am now 67 and in good health. Thank you Dr. DeBakey..

Just last night I watched a movie titled "Something the Lord Made" about the team of Alfred Blalock and Vivein Thomas. What a story. It really makes you appreciate the research surgeons that have come forth in this country. Blalock and Thomas were two very good men, bound by their love of the hunt for cures to the problems of man. I remember 40 years ago listening to the news of DeBakey's triumphs in heart surgery. What a man! Following in the path of Blalock and Thomas and who knows who else. The guys who had the guts to stick to the road to the cure all ended up being recognized. God blessed them all, right here in our midst.

Michael

In his book about DeBakey and Cooley, Thomas Thompson wrote that people questioned whether, at his age, DeBakey could master the technically demanding coronary artery bypass procedure, a procedure he was not as quick to do as some surgeons. This seems to vary with Dr. Gupta's account of Debakey inventing the procedure. DeBakey was a great surgeon, but, like many , he was not only a legend in his own time but also a legend in his own mind, and in the mind of our TV doctor.

Treated my aunt when I was a little boy back in the 1950s. He was a down-to-earth man who cared about his patients. Everyone was his friend and he treated them so. Even 50 years later, I still call him a friend.

As a sixteen year old aspiring a career in the medical field, reading about Dr. DeBakey's recent death not only made me more aware of his accomplishments, but his impact to countless lives inspired me even more to continue to do my best, hoping one day I could change the lives of thousands as well. This is the fourth article I've read about Dr. DeBakey's death. In all, his memory is unforgettable. Thank you.

I'm a medical student from India and recently read about the DeBakey classification for thoracic aneurysms. After reading Dr. Gupta's excellent article on Dr. DeBakey i simply stand in awe of this super human being's life and times. My respect and gratitude Dr DeBakey....RIP

You were,and are,and will continue to be my Hero. GodSpeed,Doctor DeBakey,

Reading all of these comments from disgruntled physicians reminds me of why I no longer work in Graduate Medical Education! These physicians are just the guys who couldn't take the heat in the OR that has been part of the fraternity of the OR for generations. Try being that first female surgeon in an OR full of men for a fun time- time and time again during those 7-9 years!!! Grow up boys- you already have your practice and hopefully you do not treat residents and your nursing staff in the manner that you speak.

Dr. DeBakey was a prefectionist. In surgery-you demand perfection or your outcomes reflect that.

When I had the opportunity to meet Dr. DeBakey many years ago, he urged me to head to medical school- but I did not have the GPA to even be considered. Now as an adult-working with great physicians for years- I know he was right-I would have been a compassionate Oncologist with hours and hours of work. He was right. He treated me as if I was a peer and not just a young single woman working her way thru evening college. He told me Live your dreams and don't let anyone stop you. He talked to me in an a Delta Crown Room and didn't care that I approached him after I expressed my thanks for my father's extended life for over 20 years- when he technically should have never lived past that first heart attack.We spent about 30 minutes talking about world topics and sports- and what I planned to do when I grew up!- I was 24 and divorced trying to figure it out. He was compassionate and caring- IF you approached him with respect. And I wasn't in awe- but looked at him as a successful surgeon and inventor. And I hugged him and thanked him for his advice as he left for his plane. I will NEVER forget his advice.

Now with the 80 hour work week-will our future physicians and surgeons have the skills of a Dr. DeBakey of Dr. Cooley or the neurosurgeon mentioned above. The answer is simple- NO WAY.

I hope he will now rest- your shift is over Dr. D!

I'm a neuropsychologist and cannot comment in great detail about the contributions of this great man. However, I will say that thanks to Dr. Gupta, we have an opportunity to learn more about those who are truly heroic.

Dr. Debakey and his life are truly a magnificent testimony to what an individual can accomplish no matter what their origins, as it is said "only in America". One important factor is that we all nurture creativity and diversity in our country, and Dr. Debakey is a great example of the results of a philosophy and a society that allows people to achieve their full potential. As a cardiologist, I have been privileged to witness and participate in one of the greatest advances of the twentieth century–the modern way to treat and prevent heart atttacks, and now strokes. Dr. Debakey and his legacy remind us of what has been possible , and gives all of us hope and determination to carry on so that our children and their children also may have the opportunities for an even brighter future.

Dr Debakey truly did the work God wanted him to do. His talent has touched countless lives, not only in the operating room but also for those of us who care for the patients. We all have a mission in life. Dr. Debakey has inspired me to make sure that I am doing the work that I am suppose to be doing. Dr. Debakey, thank you for lending your name to Hays Medical Center. The Debakey Heart Institute.

What an inspiration and moving story. Thanks Dr. Gupta for sharing this.

Dr. Gupta, Thank-you for your tribute to an awesome doctor. Not only was he a tremendous influence on the medical field , but was truly a good human being. My husband is alive today because of this mans generousity. When the V.A. said their was no problem with his heart , Dr. Debakey saw him , diagnosed him, and operated two days later. Never charged us a dime . My husband , John was one of the first fifty to have a demand pacemaker, under Dr. Debakey. Our family will be forever grateful to him. John has seen his chrildren grow and is also a Papa now . My prayers go out to his family .He will be truly missed. Thank – you – Dr. DeBakey
From my heart, Angel

I also was saddened to learn of Dr. DeBakey's death. I grew up hearing of him because my father - a now retired thoracic surgeon - attended Baylor Medical School and trained under him while DeBakey was still developing many of the techniques or devices for which he is credited. Dr. DeBakey also played a role in my father's recommendation for his post-medical school surgery training at Yale New Haven Hospital.

My family's link to Dr. DeBakey became closer, when, in November 1998 my mother underwent bypass surgery in the same hospital where DeBakey practiced; and the successful surgery was performed by one of DeBakey's protoges and one of my father's best friends.

My mother is about to celebrate her 10th year of life since that surgery; and my parents will celebrate their 52nd wedding anniversary at the end of August. I thank Dr. DeBakey for his contributions to surgery, and also for the many surgeons who trained with him. Rest in peace, Dr. DeBakey.

An Arab immigrant who would not have been allowed into the country under the Bush administration. Long live the memory of Dr. DeBakey and long live the goodness of America and its people.

The best doctors are those who listen and ask questions.

My health deteriorated badly while doctors at supposedly a top-notch medical center insisted that I could cure my symptoms by doing certain things ... that I was already doing, and they weren't helping.

My new doctor doesn't have nearly the credentials, but he put an end to several years-long problems simply by asking the right questions to get the full picture, and not just going for the easiest answer.

I am deeply sadden by the death of Dr. Michael DeBakey.

it is the gift of ulmighty to save the sufferers of heart disease and God send Him to this earth to treat the patients .By rebirth will you please come to my hospital

Having worked as a medical photographer at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, I am very proud to say that I was somehow connected to Dr. Michael DeBakey. His transplant team was – and is amazing in the skill they demonstrate. I photographed a number of heart transplants for Methodist – working closely with Dr. James Young and others. I didn't know him personally and only had a few words with him in the OR, but he was an amazing person. His sisters are literary geniuses in the medical field, and having met them and produced medical photography for them, I'm very happy to remember the fantastic work of their brother, Michael E. DeBakey. Both Lois and Selma should be very proud to have a legacy Dr. DeBakey created. I remember Fondren-Brown very well, 6565 Fannin will never be the same.

I was fortunate to have known and worked with Dr. DeBakey. He was an amazing person who made a superhuman contribution to the field of medicine. He was always thinking and trying to figure out a better way to do almost anything. Dr. DeBakey was a hard taskmaster and drove those around him to outstanding achievements.

Once upon a time, he even threw an instrument at me for making a mistake. The instrument chunking was something he was known to do from time to time. Afterwards someone told me Dr. DeBakey must really like me. Of course I had to ask why and I was told if he didn't like me, he would have thrown something sharp!

I will always remember Dr. DeBakey with respect and admiration. He helped make me a better person.

I had the great honour and previlege to be his beloved pupil in the early 60's. As a greatful pupil together with hundreds of his former students from more than 50 countries around the globe founded in 1976 in Athens ,Greece the ' M.E.DeBakey International Cardiovascular Society ". In 1977 I had organised in Athens Greece the first International Congress of this Society with the participation of a thousand pupils and friend of Dr.DeBakey's. The opening ceremony was held at the old Odeon of Hirodus of Atticus at the foot of Acropolis.
Our great teacher was extremely happy with great emotion being among his pupils in this sacret place .
The legacy of this great surgeon and humanist will last for ever to illuminate and inspire the the new generations of surgeons for dedication to the patients and for perfection to their endeavour.

From James Henderson, MD: "He also allegedly had his own private elevator, and if he used another elevator, would make everyone else exit (I always doubted this particular legend!)."

Well, as a phlebotomist at Methodist in the '80s, I was forced off an elevator by DeBakey and his harridan nurse, Sylvia, as I was on the way to a stat glucose draw for a patient who was on the way to a diabetic coma. The elevator stopped on the 9th floor [on the way to Fondren 11] and there was Dr. DeBakey with his key stuck in the elevator lock. Sylvia grabbed me by the upper arm in a death grip and said, "You need to get off, honey - Dr. DeBakey wants to go home." So I had to take the stairs the rest of the way up [luckily I was pretty fit in those days] while MD turned the elevator around with his magic key and got to go home.
Luckily, the PATIENT didn't die - at least not that day.
I've also had a needle IN a patient's vein when one of MD's minions came into the room and ORDERED me to remove the needle and come back later. Never mind that this meant yet another "stick" for a patient who was going to have, or who had already had, open-heart surgery ... GOD/DEBAKEY was coming down the hall and we mere mortals had to get the hell out of his way. (He didn't get to that patient's room for another ten minutes, by the way - plenty of time for me to have drawn the blood and left, without having to subject the poor patient to yet more physical trauma, however minor that trauma might have been.)
Yes, DeBakey might have been a genius, but he could have acted like a HUMAN BEING on occasion.

My father was one of Dr. DeBakey's truly early bypass patients. I was told it was in the single digits. My father's doctors had given him a year or two to live. Our neighbor (in Houston) was a diagnostician and suggested that my Father see a young doctor name Michael DeBakey with some new ideas. Dr. DeBakey performed a triple bypass on my father and even visited him at home during his recovery. Thanks to Dr. DeBakey we were given twelve years (instead of two) with my Father. Our family appreciates and benefited from his genius and his accomplishments. Our prayers and gratitude go out to his family.

In 1988 at age 49 my career as an international airline captain came to a halt after I had a major heart attack ...in fact my heart stopped beating for a while till it was revived with electric shocks..On recovery I underwent a quadruple bypass surgery by a doctor trained by Dr.De Bakey.
Three years later, after a rigorous fitness regime, I was among the first few, if not THE first in the world (never did check) to be declared medically fit for flying again after a CABG Op and resumed flying internationally on the Boeing 747-400
Three years later I skydived from 15000 feet and was the first to be cleared to fly in command. I retired from flying duties in 1999.
With no more 6-monthly licence medicals to monitor my health, I let myself go and 2 years later paid for my indulgence with a second CABG Op. This time it was for 6 by-passes!!
One year later I literally bounced back from a 440 ft bungee jump in New Zealand.
Post-CABG, I have been regularly running, cycling, roller-blade skating and ballroom dancing for hoursand still do so at 70.
All this was made possible by the great Dr.DeBakey ?
The world and I owe him....big time!. Thank you Doc. R.I.P.

This story is truly inspiring and captivating. i love it

Fascinating indeed! It appears to me that Dr. Debakey had an inner fortitude that was indestructible. He truly was an icon and my heart goes out to his family.

Few people know that Dr DeBakey practiced in New Orleans at the Ochsner Clinic before moving to Houston.