John Kirklin's Impact on the Origins of Open Heart Surgery and the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society

Abstract

John Kirklin stands out as one of the surgeons most identifiably responsible for bringing the field of open heart surgery to clinical reality and initiating scientific pursuits in the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society. His accomplishments are perhaps best viewed in the context of other major contributions made by researchers and fellow surgeons, which collectively positioned Kirklin and other cardiac surgery pioneers to usher in the dawn of open heart surgery and later the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society.