CARDIAC SURGERY.


GIBBON, JOHN H., JR. 1903-1973. Archive of 8 items regarding Gibbon's development of the heart-lung machine, including: 1) The physiology of massive pulmonary embolism. 1936, offprint. Institute stamp on front page; 2) An oxygenator with a large surface-volume ratio. 1939, pp. 1192-1198, IN: J. Lab. Clin. Med. (August 1939), entire issue in the original printed wrappers. Fine; 3) The maintenance of life during experimental occlusion of the pulmonary artery followed by survival. 1939, extract; 4) An improved mechanical heart and lung apparatus: Its use during open cardiotomy in experimental animals. 1953, IN: Med. Clin. N. A. (November 1953). Philadelphia 1953, dw, fine; 5) Application of a mechanical heart and lung apparatus to cardiac surgery. 1954, pp. 107-116 IN: Grace Roth ed. Recent advances in cardiovascular physiology and surgery: a symposium presented by the Minnesota Heart Association and the University of Minnesota. Minneapolis 1954, wrappers (detached), 132pp. First edition; 6) Bernard Miller, The development of heart lung machines. 1982, offprint; 7) Harris Shumacker Jr., John H. Gibbon, Jr.: The heart-lung machine and progress in cardiovascular surgery. 1984, Offprint. INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY SHUMACKER; 8) Richard Bing, John H. Gibbon, Jr., Cardiopulmonary bypass - triumph of perseverance and character. 1994, offprint. INSCRIBED AND SIGNED BY BING; 9) Adora Fou, John H. Gibbon: The first 20 years of the heart-lung machine. 1997, offprint. SIGNED BY FOU.An important archive which includes a number of articles documenting the early development and use of the "Gibbon" heart-lung machine, including "An oxygenator with a large surface-volume ratio" (1939, Garrison-Morton 3938.1: "First heart-lung machine used successfully on an animal"), and "Application of a mechanical heart and lung apparatus to cardiac surgery" (1954; Garrison-Morton 3047.1: "First pump oxygenator used on humans. Performed on May 6, 1953, this was the first successful intracardiac operation in a patient with the use of total heart-lung bypass.") Also included is Gibbon's 1954 report in a very rare monograph edited by physiologist Grace Roth, which contains all of the presentations at the Minneapolis symposium. The articles also appeared separately in the journal Minnesota Medicine in 1954. In addition to Gibbon's classic article, this separate monograph contains contributions by many of the pioneers of cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery, such as William Bigelow, Lewis Dexter, Charles Dotter, Dwight Harken, Willis Potts, H.J.C. "Jeremy" Swan, and Earl Wood, among others. Regarding Gibbon's initial clinical experience using his heart-lung machine, cardiac surgeon and historian Stephen Westaby writes, "On 6 May 1953, 18 years after Gibbon's bypass of the heart and lungs of a cat, his Model II heart-lung machine allowed open and bloodless repair of Cecilia Bavolek, an event which formed the basis of modern cardiac surgery." Westaby continues, "Had Clarence Dennis not asked him to describe his one successful operation to the Symposium on Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Physiology and Surgery at the University of Minnesota on 16 September 1953, it would not have been recorded. Gibbon thought the apparatus could not be accepted on the basis of one positive outcome, but Dennis insisted that success in even one case warranted publication." There is a lively discussion of this technique that catalyzed the development of modern cardiology and cardiac surgery. Items 6-9 provide valuable perspective on the significance of Gibbon's development of the heart-lung machine. For the Minneapolis symposium, see W. Bruce Fye, Caring for the Heart, (New York, 2015), pp 211-212. See also Ada Romaine-Davis, John Gibbon and His Heart-Lung Machine, (Philadelphia, 1991).