DALLAS, Feb. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Heart Association offers its condolences to family, friends and colleagues of Norman E. Shumway, M.D., Ph.D., known as the father of heart transplantation, who died Feb 9 from complications of cancer.
Shumway, the Frances and Charles Field Professor of Cardiovascular Surgery, Emeritus, performed the first successful human heart transplant in the United States in 1968 at Stanford. Just one month earlier, Dr. Christaan Bernard, using Shumway's technique, conducted the first such operation in South Africa. After others abandoned heart transplantation because of early poor results, Shumway persisted and led the way to the current success of this important procedure by adopting effective immunosuppressants to reduce rejection of the donor heart by the recipient. He was also instrumental in the successful mentoring of many of today's heart surgery leaders. With his unique personal charm and clinical brilliance, he inspired and empowered his trainees and young associates, many of who have been members and leaders of the American Heart Association.
In 2004, more than 2,000 heart transplants were performed in the United States.
American Heart AssociationCONTACT: Carole Bullock of American Heart Association, +1-214-706-1279
Web site: http://www.americanheart.org/
