Table of Contents
1960
Dr. Carl E. Wasmuth
Carl E. Wasmuth, M.D., and colleagues in the Department of Anesthesia are able to control blood pressure during and after cardiac surgery using sodium nitroprusside. This development reduces postoperative complications and mortality.
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1967
Dr. René Favaloro in surgery
Dr. Favaloro without surgical mask, 1972
Cleveland Clinic heart surgeon René Favaloro, M.D., pioneers coronary bypass surgery, a new method for ensuring adequate blood flow to the hearts of patients with severe coronary artery disease. The Favaloro procedure involves removing a blood vessel from the leg (saphenous vein) and re-attaching one end of it to the aorta and the other end strategically to the diseased coronary artery. This creates a new blood vessel that “bypasses” the clogged portion of the coronary artery. The procedure saves tens of thousands of lives every year and is one of the most successful means of treating coronary heart disease. Today, some 800,000 bypass procedures are performed each year, all over the world.
Photo of Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit, 1967
The Clinic's first Cardiovascular Unit opens in the hospital, with its own operating suite, intensive care unit and stepdown unit.
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1968
Stouffer Award
The Cleveland Clinic's first heart transplant takes place, performed by Laurence Groves, M.D., along with Dr. Donald Effler, M.D., and René Favaloro, M.D.
Dr. Bumpus is awarded the Stouffer Prize for the synthesis of angiotensin. Later, in 1970, Dr. Page is awarded the Stouffer Prize for his discoveries and research. In this photo, Dr. Irvine H. Page is seen with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Dr. Harry Goldblatt (a renowned pathologist), and Vernon Stouffer.
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