Miracle cardiovascular surgeon dies at 99

Michael DeBakey, the world famous cardiovascular surgeon died Friday at the age of 99. He underwent surgery to repair his damaged aorta in February 2006. The amazing aspect of that surgery is that he created it. If DeBakey had not created the procedure for repairing damaged aortas, not only DeBakey would have died but the many more lives that are saved everyday from the life saving surgeries he developed.



DeBakey helped turn Baylor College of Medicine in Houston from a provincial school into one of the nation's great medical institutions. While still in medical school in 1932, he invented the roller pump, which became the major component of the heart-lung machine, beginning the era of open-heart surgery. The machine takes over the function of the heart and lungs during surgery.

Information from CNN.com