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Discovery of Blood Types
Karl Landsteiner demonstrated that people have different blood types, which are determined by marker molecules on their red blood cells. Landsteiner's discovery enabled blood transfusions to be done safely. -
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Blood Banks
Charles Drew demonstrated that emergency transfusions could successfully be done with plasma if whole blood was not available. Durind World War II, Drew established blood banks for storing donated blood. His work helped save millions of lives on and off the battlefield. -
Treatment for "Blue Babies"
Helen Taussig identified the heart defect that causes the skin of some newborn babies to be bluish in color. The blood of these "blue babies" does not receive an adequate amount of oxygen. Taussig and another surgeon, Alfred Blalock, developed an operation to correct the defect and save these babies' livea. -
First Heart Transplant
Christiaan Barnard, a South African surgeon, performed the first transplant of a human heart. Louis Washkansky, the man who receved the heart, lived for only 18 days after the transplant. But Barnard's work paved the way for future successes in transplanting hearts and other organs. -
Artificial Heart
An artificial heart, developed by Robert Jarvik, was implanted into a patient by surgeon William DeVries at the Untiversity of Utah. Barney Clark, the man who received the artificial heart, lived for 112 days. Today artificial hearts are sometimes used temporarily in people waiting for heart transplants. -
Laser Beam Unclogs Arteries
The US government approved a device that uses a laser beam to burn away the material causing blockage in some arteries. This device can help some people with atherosclerosis.
