History of Cardiac Surgery Research at The Johns Hopkins Hospital
Cardiac surgical research at The Johns Hopkins Hospital has a long and productive history. Since its inception in 1942 by Alfred Blalock, M.D., and Vivien Thomas, investigators in the Cardiac Surgery Research Laboratory have set the standards for surgical research today. Areas of research include:
- solutions to congenital cardiac defects, i.e. tetralogy of Fallot (blue baby)
- early advances in cardiopulmonary bypass using the heart-lung machine to facilitate open heart surgery
- early prosthetic valve development with related coating and bonding studies
- use of various solutions for cardioplegia
- early development of the intra-aortic balloon pump
- comparisons of anti-rejection medications in heart and heart-lung transplantation
- organ preservation techniques
- effects of leukocyte filtration on cardiopulmonary bypass
- techniques for safely extending hypothermic circulatory arrest and minimizing neurological injury
- ways to prevent spinal cord injury from abdominal aorta surgery
- using gene therapy to preserve the life of vein grafts
- drug therapies to prevent ischemia and reperfusion injury
