Timeline Wednesday 6 May 1953

Events on Wednesday 6 May 1953 1

• 1953 First Successful Use of Heart-Lung Machine Open-heart surgery breakthrough Surgeon John Gibbon performed the first successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine of his own design, repairing an atrial septal defect in an 18-year-old patient. The machine took over the functions of the heart and lungs, allowing surgeons to operate on a still, bloodless heart. The achievement opened the way for modern cardiac surgery.