"A Thrill of Extreme Magnety": Robert E. Gross and the Beginnings of Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

In 1938 a landmark surgical procedure was performed at Boston Children’s Hospital. Lorraine Sweeney, a seven-year-old girl, underwent a ligation of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), the first successful surgery of its kind ever performed.1,2 The procedure transformed her health and was a crucial step in opening up the fields of vascular and cardiac surgery. The procedure was performed by Dr. Robert Gross, a pupil of Dr. William Ladd, both among the most notable contributors to the development of pediatric surgery. In addition to playing a critical role in the progression of surgical innovation, this procedure took place in the fascinating context of the Boston medical community and its rich history of medical development, and among those involved were physicians whose legacies have a special place in the history of the field. This study reviewed the available primary and secondary sources to compile a narrative account of this landmark procedure and its place in the history of medical innovation.