Vivien Thomas: The Unnamed Father of Atrial Septostomy

Vivien Thomas is a black man that is often only known for his contribution to the revolutionary Blalock-Taussig shunt used in “blue baby” operations. However, his contribution to the field of cardiac surgery goes beyond that. His fingerprints are all over the Blalock-Hanlon procedure, the antecedent to today’s balloon atrial septostomy.

Source: Journal of the American College of Surgeons - September 16, 2021 Category: Surgery Authors: Lukman Faniyi Tags: Special Article Source Type: research