Comments on: Remembering a medical legend, with gratitude

By: frank

frank — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:56:00 +0000

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

By: Encarta

Encarta — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:22:08 +0000

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.

By: Evans

Evans — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:26:44 +0000

This story is truly inspiring and captivating. i love it

By: M.Reza Beg

M.Reza Beg — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:52:31 +0000

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.

By: Rebecca Allen

Rebecca Allen — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:05:06 +0000

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.

By: frogprof

frogprof — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:32:12 +0000

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.

By: Panagiotis Balas, MD

Panagiotis Balas, MD — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:51:07 +0000

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.

By: patty

patty — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:42:56 +0000

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.

By: Robert Czimny

Robert Czimny — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:19:07 +0000

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.

By: Dr THANGIAH

Dr THANGIAH — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:55:08 +0000

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