November 29 1944, The first surgery (on a human) to correct blue baby syndrome is performed by
November 29 1944, The first surgery (on a human) to correct blue baby syndrome is performed by Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas.The blue baby syndrome known as tetralogy of Fallot consists of an incomplete wall between the ventricles (known as aventricular septal defect or VSD an aorta that sits over this defect so that its blood comes from both ventricles instead of just from the left (overriding aorta a defective right ventricular outflow tract near the pulmonary valve that prevents full flow of blood to the lungs; and a muscular right ventricle necessary to accomplish the extra work required to overcome that defect (right ventricular hypertrophy).Unoxygenated blood from the right ventricle flows into the aorta preferentially because of the obstructed outflow tract into the lungs. This means less blood has the opportunity to be oxygenated in the lungs. Blood mixes abnormally between the left and right ventricles and into the aorta. Oxygen gives blood its reddish color; cyanosis describes the “blueness” in the baby which results from the pumping of mixed oxygenated and unoxygenated blood throughout the body.In 1944 Blalock, with Thomas by his side, performed the first “blue baby” operation on Eileen Saxon, a 15-month-old baby. The operation was successful, although the baby died a few months later. After the innovative first completion of the surgery, Blalock became comfortable with the procedure and performed it on thousands of children, often with Thomas by his side. -- source link
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