Outline

Thesis: Heart Surgery dramatically changed how once-seen as impossible medical technologies were viewed. Cardiac surgery was once looked as impossible, until a turn in World War II. The technologies for this type of surgery have still continously been changing.

A. A major turn in cardiac surgery technology took place during World War II.
    i.) During WWII Harken tested heart surgery on animals, until he perfected it, and proved that it was possible; he tested it then on humans. Blind surgery, closed heart surgery, spread throughout and became a very safe procedure. (3. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/pioneers-heart-surgery.html)

    ii.) Ludwig Rehn performed first successful heart surgery during WWII, due to a womb to the heart. After that many other perfected it with new technologies. (4. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/372460/history-of-medicine/35703/Heart-surgery )

    iii.)WWII was where heart transplants originally began. The heart transplant procedure was finally perfected in the late 1950's by American investigators. They proved that heart surgery could be done by first performing it on dogs. Usually, heart transplants on animals were more successful than those done on humans were. (14. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/720793/cardiovascular-disease/33641/Chronic-constrictive-pericarditis )

WWII was a long time ago, a time of change for cardiac technology, but changes are still in the making.

B. Technologies for cardiac surgery, to this day, are still changing for the better.
    i.) Doctors have come up with new ideas to make heart surgery easier on both the patient and surgeon. They have made a new robotic arm, one which you don't need to make a big incision to insert below the ribs. The robotic arm come with a camera and moving "fingers" to perform and supervise the surgery. (5. http://www.healthcentral.com/heart-disease/h/open-heart-surgery-history.html )

   ii.) To improve recovery, make it go by faster. They have found a way to get cells from the heart, multiply them, and insert them back in so that the person could overcome a faster recovery. It is called cellular regeneration therapy, it is likely to have caught on over the years due to its success. (6. Waters, Jen)

    iii.) Cardiac surgeons are now able to perform surgery on the heart without cutting open the ribcage or stopping the heart at all! All that they realy need is a cut that is 3-inches deep. Due to the fact that little cutting is occurring during the surgery, the patients are able to heal faster and healthier, they may go home within two days. (7. Hodson, Jeff)

Heart Surgery dramatically changed how once-seen as impossible medical technologies were viewed. Cardiac surgery was once looked as impossible, until a turn in World War II. The technologies for this type of surgery have still continously been changing. Not only are this a major change in medical history, but a huge impact on the health of human beings.