Biography

On March 26,1954, a University of Minnesota surgical team directed by Lillehei performed repair of an atrial septal defect congenital cardiac lesion with cross circulation, a procedure in which a child's circulation was supported by that of an adult, usually a parent, thus effectively beginning clinical open heart surgery. Soon thereafter this successful although cumbersome and dangerous process was replaced by cardiopulmonary bypass using an external mechanical pump and an oxygenator designed by Richard A. DeWall and Lillehei, which mixed venous blood with bubbles of oxygen, enabling the oxygenation of venous blood and its return to the arteries. Lillehei's team also demonstrated that repair of some intracardiac lesions, including septum primum and ventricular septal defect, was episodically associated with the development of complete heart block, which might spontaneously reverse during the procedure, postoperatively, or might be permanent. Brief or prolonged ventricular pacing was required for both of the latter circumstances. If heart block were permanent, it was a lethal condition, as no effective long-term management existed. Lillehei's group developed a technique of ventricular pacing with myocardial wires applied either through a needle into the closed chest or placed at the time of the open heart surgery. This technique was used with then-available line current operated pacemakers until December 1957, when the world's first battery-operated pacemaker, developed at his request by Earl Bakken, made pacing independent of line current and eventually allowed ambulatory outpatient management of those with permanent complete heart block. In 1960, Lillehei reported 66 such patients. The technique of external pacemaker use was soon followed by the invention, elsewhere, of implanted pulse generators. Lillehei's contributions to cardiac pacing continued with a description of the follow-up of the implanted battery using x-ray techniques and removal of retained and infected leads. Lillehei continued to develop open heart surgical techniques for congenital and valvular lesions, oxygenators for cardiopulmonary bypass, artificial implantable assist devices, and the design and development of mechanical cardiac valves.

- Seymour Furman, M.D.

Interview Excerpt

Early need for pacemakers (12:02 sec.; Real Audio)

Excerpted from this interview:
Interviewer: Earl Bakken (as part of the "Pioneers in Pacing" series)
Date: June 10, 1977
Place: Minneapolis, MN
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