Cardiac Cowboys

Eric A. Rose, MD is a world leader in cardiac surgery and cardiovascular research who performed the first successful pediatric heart transplant. Gerald Imber, MD is a plastic surgeon and author whose medical history books include Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Halsted and Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery . They join host Jamie Napoli to discuss the...

Walt Lillehei’s years of living and operating on the edge finally catch up with him. In Houston, rival surgeons attempt to resolve four decades of bad blood.   For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book " CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery ," published by Post Hill Press in 2024.   Presented by: Chris Pine Written and N...

An ingenious medical device promises to eliminate the need for heart donors entirely. But when accusations of a stolen heart emerge, the simmering tension between Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley boils over, playing out in courtrooms and headlines across the country.   For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book " CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Inventio...

Surgeons across the country race to transplant the human heart. The stakes are unimaginably high, rivalries turn vicious, and the first surgeon to cross the finish line shocks the world.   For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book " CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery ," published by Post Hill Press in 2024.   Presented by: C...

A devastating turn of events forces Walt Lillehei to re-think his approach to open heart surgery. In Houston, Denton Cooley’s swift rise plunges him into a battle of egos with his boss and mentor, Michael DeBakey.   For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book " CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery ," published by Post Hill Pres...

Two of the country’s most ambitious surgeons join forces to make Houston, Texas the new cardiovascular capital of the world. Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley’s complementary talents make them a surgical dream team. But a friendly rivalry turns them from close colleagues to fierce competitors.   For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber...

America is in the midst of a cardiac health crisis. It’s the height of the Baby Boom, and American children are dying from heart disease in greater numbers than ever before in history. The doctor who sets out to solve this problem may just be the most fascinating man you've never heard of. Racing against his own terminal cancer diagnosis, Dr. Walt Lillehei embarks on an impossible mission: c...

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