Cleveland: Pioneer in Cardiac Care
A History of Success and Innovation
Performing one of the world's first stopped-heart surgeries at the Cleveland Clinic, 1956.
Team of physicians & specialists who participated in Cleveland's first stopped-heart surgery, 1956.
Drs. Willem Kolff & Tetsuzo Akitsu examine an artificial heart developed at the Cleveland Clinic, 1958.
Examining a heart-lung machine developed by the Cleveland Clinic & Curtis Industries, 1961.
Cleveland has had a history of success and innovation when it comes to heart health. Though most people associate heart care with the Cleveland Clinic, other area hospitals, doctors, and researchers were instrumental in the 1950s for making the city a "Mecca" for heart care. St. Vincent Charity Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic were among the first hospitals in the world to open wards dedicated solely to the care of cardiac patients. Surgical procedures that could be reliably reproduced in hospitals throughout the nation and world were pioneered in Cleveland.
Many surgeons and researchers from the city were nationally recognized and many more unsung experts in the city contributed to the tremendous advancements in cardiac care and research. The city contributed to the advancement of cardiac care in three major areas:
- Research into heart conditions
- Development of new technology for heart care
- Pioneering surgical and exploratory procedures
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