A Time for All Things: The Life of Michael E. DeBakey

Abstract

If you have been familiar with cardiac and vascular surgery, you certainly will have heard of Dr Michael Ellis DeBakey. He is considered as one of the real pioneers of this surgical discipline. In addition, along with Dr Denton A. Cooley, he is considered one of the greatest surgeons of the last century. Although DeBakey is known primarily for his achievements in cardiac surgery, of which there are many, the current study by Craig A. Miller represents the first biography on the famed surgeon’s eventful life. After numerous years spent gathering historical records and information, Craig A. Miller has written an outstanding study. The book will appeal to anyone interested in the life and achievements of Michael E. DeBakey and gives great insights into the numerous challenges he encountered in his long life—as a doctor, a mentor, an inventor, and researcher, but also as a family man, a politician, and perhaps foremost as a surgeon. The book A Time for All Things: The Life of Michael E. DeBakey, published by Oxford University Press, is available as a hardcover printed edition and as an eBook. It is divided into 12 chapters, each representing a major turning point in the life and career of the surgeon who died in 2008 at the age of 99. The 610-page book is enriched by 66 black-and-white images and numerous anecdotes, short stories, and personal letters, making the reader feel as if the author is journeying with DeBakey through the story of his life. The book’s first 2 chapters focus on DeBakey’s childhood and early life, describing the difficulties of the early 1900s and conveying an understanding of how—even at a young age and doing the simplest tasks—the young DeBakey continually strove for perfection in every area of his life. Throughout the chapters, the book gives us an appreciation for the main events, which may have motivated him to decide to devote his life to medicine. The majority of Dr DeBakey’s life plays out in Houston, where he spent most of his 5 decades of professional life working as a cardiovascular surgeon. This most active period of his life is presented in the last 7 chapters of the book. Under DeBakey’s leadership and mentorship, the city of Houston grew to be the medical epicenter we know today, the Texas Medical Center. DeBakey served as both chancellor emeritus of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and as Director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. The Houston area developed in great part due to the vision of giants like Dr Michael E. DeBakey and Dr Denton A. Cooley. Triumphs, clashing egos, and rivalry were all part of the process through which cardiovascular medicine advanced to the level we sometimes take for granted today. This process is nicely recorded by Craig A. Miller, a board-certified (2007) vascular surgeon from Columbus, OH, who spent major parts of his professional life at the University of California in San Francisco and currently has more than 20 years of clinical experience. Even though he never met Dr DeBakey in person, his deepest respect and fascination for this surgeon has led him to spend several years at numerous libraries and archives. In 2017, Craig A. Miller was the Michael E. DeBakey Fellow in the History of Medicine at the National Library of Medicine (NLM). In this time, he has written major parts of this instructive biography with contributions from many of the late Dr DeBakey’s personal friends, family, and coworkers. This biography, representing Craig A. Miller’s third book, can be read as history, lived by one of the greatest surgical minds of the previous century. It can also be read as an inspiration for everyone. The development of modern cardiovascular medicine would not have been possible without the great leadership, innovations, and inspiration produced directly or indirectly by Dr Michael E. DeBakey. Technical medical language has been omitted in this book, so that it will inspire anyone interested in cardiovascular medicine, from physicians and patients to politicians and other health care providers. Surgeons, aspiring surgeons, cardiac anesthesiologists, cardiologists, and innovators from all fields interested in the very foundations of cardiac surgery and its pioneers should buy and read this book. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors acknowledge Jeannie Wurz, Medical Editor, from the Bern University Hospital, for careful reading and editing of the manuscript. Maks Mihalj, MDThierry Carrel, MDDepartment of Cardiovascular SurgeryInselspital, Bern University HospitalUniversity of BernBern, SwitzerlandMarkus M. Luedi, MD, MBADepartment of Anaesthesiology and Pain MedicineInselspital, Bern University HospitalUniversity of BernBern, Switzerland[email protected]