Heart Surgery Pioneer - Vivien Thomas (Johns Hopkins)
The story of Vivien Thomas is extraordinary.
In fact, as Robyn (my wife) and I watched the HBO special on his life, we both found ourselves in tears.
The television movie is called “Something The Lord Made” and it premiered in May, 2004.
During his lifetime, Vivien Thomas faced prejudice, bigotry, wage discrimination and humiliation in the process of changing cardiac surgery forever. That said, after the replacement of my diseased aortic valve and pulmonary valve, I am DEEPLY INDEBTED to this man and his innovative colleague Dr. Blalock.
Here is Vivien Thomas’ Biography On Wikipedia.
If you have any interest in learning about one of the pioneers of heart surgery, I highly encourage you to watch or rent this movie.
Keep on tickin!
Adam Pick is a double, heart valve surgery patient and author of The Patient’s Guide To Heart Valve Surgery, a unique book which integrates the clinical facts of heart valve surgery with the personal experiences of an actual heart valve surgery patient. To learn more about Adam and his heart valve surgery book, click here.
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June 8th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
I loved this show and I saw it when it first came out. Now that I’ve been told I’ll need the surgery in a year or two, I’ll have to watch it again and see what new insight I’ll gain.
June 8th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Just wanted you to know that I had surgery performed by Dr. Blaylock in 1950 to repair a patent ductus. It was a new procedure and I was brought to Johns Hopkins by my parents, who had been told to “take her home to die” when I was born. And here I am, 57 years later! Unfortunately, now I need a valve replacement due to congenital aortic stenosis which has become critical. My father had told me about this movie, but I have not seen it yet. I’m looking forward to watching it.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:13 am
I’m a medical student graduate here at the Philippines. I want to pursue on Congenital Heart Surgery because I was very interested in Congenital heart defects. I’ve always read on the corrective procedures and one of them was the “Blalock-Taussig shunt” which is one of the component of a 3-staged procedure known as the “Norwood Operation.” I watched “Something The Lord Made” and it really inspired me. It was a very good movie and I would want to give it a “Two Thumb’s Up.” Thanks to Dr. Blalock that Cardiac Surgery came to existence. I really liked what Dr. Blalock said to one of his colleagues, “When you see risk, I see opportunity.”
September 16th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
On 2 june 08 I had a Aortic Mechanical Valve Surgery. That was my 67th
Birthday. My wife ask me if i would do it all over again and I told her yes.
I am so thankful for John Hopkins Hospital. If any one has been told they need surgery don’t put it off.
September 26th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Great movie, and how people address injustice.