King of Hearts: The True Story of the Maverick Who Pioneered Open Heart Surgery

Few of the great stories of medicine are as palpably dramatic as the invention of open-heart surgery, yet, until now, no journalist has ever brought all of the thrilling specifics of this triumph to life.

This is the story of the surgeon many call the father of open-heart surgery, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, who, along with colleagues at University Hospital in Minneapolis and a small band of pioneers elsewhere, accomplished what many experts considered to be an impossible feat: He opened the heart, repaired fatal defects, and made the miraculous routine.

Acclaimed author G. Wayne Miller draws on archival research and exclusive interviews with Lillehei and legendary pioneers such as Michael DeBakey and Christiaan Barnard, taking readers into the lives of these doctors and their patients as they progress toward their landmark achievement. In the tradition of works by Richard Rhodes and Tracy Kidder, King of Hearts tells the story of an important and gripping piece of forgotten science history.


From the Hardcover edition.

• Cardiopulmonary Bypass and Mechanical Support: Principles and Practice
• 100,000 Hearts: A Surgeon's Memoir
• Cardiopulmonary Bypass
• Walk on Water: The Miracle of Saving Children's Lives
• Hemodynamic Monitoring: Invasive and Noninvasive Clinical Application
• A Practical Approach to Cardiac Anesthesia (Practical Approach Series)
• Illustrated Field Guide to Congenital Heart Disease and Repair - Pocket Sized
• Manual of Perioperative Care in Adult Cardiac Surgery
• Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted
• The Heart Healers: The Misfits, Mavericks, and Rebels Who Created the Greatest Medical Breakthrough of Our Lives