Did Elder Nelson invent Heart Surgery?

[maiku]

Hey all,

after watching Elder Nelson's great talk today in conference I realized I still don't know exactly what he was responsible for in his professional career. I've heard he performed the first open heart surgery, that he invented it, and some other variations of this.

I've also heard that he once said he was guided by an angel in a surgery once.

Can someone give me some insight on all this? I'd like to separate what I've heard from what is true. :)

thank you

[Vort]

He was a noted cardiac surgeon who developed some techniques in heart surgery. He did not invent the field.

[Jenamarie]

He was a noted cardiac surgeon who developed some techniques in heart surgery. He did not invent the field.

Didn't he operate on one of the 12? (prior to being in the 12 himself, I imagine) I thought I remembered hearing (perhaps a Mormon urban legend) of one of them introducing Elder Nelson as "A man very close to my heart" or some such.

[Vort]

Didn't he operate on one of the 12? (prior to being in the 12 himself, I imagine) I thought I remembered hearing (perhaps a Mormon urban legend) of one of them introducing Elder Nelson as "A man very close to my heart" or some such.

He was President Kimball's surgeon, as I recall. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

[maiku]

that I know is true, he did perform surgery on Pres. Kimball.

[pam]

He didn't invent heart surgery but he was on the team that developed the first machine that could perform the functions of the heart and lung while the patient underwent heart surgery.

[rameumptom]

He stated that while operating on Pres Kimball, he felt angels guiding him.

[applepansy]

It will be amazing to read his biography.... some day.

[skippy740]

I remember one general conference when Elder Wirthlin spoke and he was shaking rather fiercely... and Elder Nelson just stood behind him with his arm on his back while he spoke.

[Jenamarie]

I remember one general conference when Elder Wirthlin spoke and he was shaking rather fiercely... and Elder Nelson just stood behind him with his arm on his back while he spoke.

I remember that! It was so touching. (no pun intended)

[lizzy16]

Okay. So, we talked about this in my science class at BYU-Idaho. He's globally recognized for starting a new way to do surgery and peoples lives have been changed by it. But, there are other ways as well (that weren't an option for the guy he operated on.)

The article says he cut the guy open, the assistant said "What are you going to do?" and Elder Nelson replied "No idea..." and he prayed. He saw a thing in his head how he should operate. And, it worked. The guy was a patriarch of the church and before Elder Nelson operated on him he said something along the lines of "I have faith in you. I'll live." :)

[Vort]

Okay. So, we talked about this in my science class at BYU-Idaho. He's globally recognized for starting a new way to do surgery and peoples lives have been changed by it. But, there are other ways as well (that weren't an option for the guy he operated on.)

The article says he cut the guy open, the assistant said "What are you going to do?" and Elder Nelson replied "No idea..." and he prayed. He saw a thing in his head how he should operate. And, it worked. The guy was a patriarch of the church and before Elder Nelson operated on him he said something along the lines of "I have faith in you. I'll live." :)

It's an amazing story:

Many of us have had experiences with the sweet power of prayer. One of mine was shared with a stake patriarch from southern Utah. I first met him in my medical office more than 40 years ago, during the early pioneering days of surgery of the heart. This saintly soul suffered much because of a failing heart. He pleaded for help, thinking that his condition resulted from a damaged but repairable valve in his heart.

Extensive evaluation revealed that he had two faulty valves. While one could be helped surgically, the other could not. Thus, an operation was not advised. He received this news with deep disappointment.

Subsequent visits ended with the same advice. Finally, in desperation, he spoke to me with considerable emotion: “Dr. Nelson, I have prayed for help and have been directed to you. The Lord will not reveal to me how to repair that second valve, but He can reveal it to you. Your mind is so prepared. If you will operate upon me, the Lord will make it known to you what to do. Please perform the operation that I need, and pray for the help that you need.”

His great faith had a profound effect upon me. How could I turn him away again? Following a fervent prayer together, I agreed to try. In preparing for that fateful day, I prayed over and over again, but still did not know what to do for his leaking tricuspid valve. Even as the operation commenced, my assistant asked, “What are you going to do for that?”

I said, “I do not know.”

We began the operation. After relieving the obstruction of the first valve, we exposed the second valve. We found it to be intact but so badly dilated that it could no longer function as it should. While examining this valve, a message was distinctly impressed upon my mind: Reduce the circumference of the ring. I announced that message to my assistant. “The valve tissue will be sufficient if we can effectively reduce the ring toward its normal size.”

But how? We could not apply a belt as one would use to tighten the waist of oversized trousers. We could not squeeze with a strap as one would cinch a saddle on a horse. Then a picture came vividly to my mind, showing how stitches could be placed—to make a pleat here and a tuck there—to accomplish the desired objective. I still remember that mental image—complete with dotted lines where sutures should be placed. The repair was completed as diagrammed in my mind. We tested the valve and found the leak to be reduced remarkably. My assistant said, “It’s a miracle.”

I responded, “It’s an answer to prayer.”

The patient’s recovery was rapid and his relief gratifying. Not only was he helped in a marvelous way, but surgical help for other people with similar problems had become a possibility. I take no credit. Praise goes to this faithful patriarch and to God, who answered our prayers. This faithful man lived for many more years and has since gone to his eternal glory.

[Snow]

Hey all,

after watching Elder Nelson's great talk today in conference I realized I still don't know exactly what he was responsible for in his professional career. I've heard he performed the first open heart surgery, that he invented it, and some other variations of this.

Yes, that's true. The world's first known open heart surgery was performed by Elder Nelson in Chicago Illinois at the Provident Hospital in 1891 on a stabbing victim who fully recovered and went on to live another 50 years.

Of course it goes without saying that this was several past lives ago when Elder Nelson was a Methodist and went by the name of Daniel Hale Williams. In his next incarnation, Elder Nelson became a dog musher in Gnome Alaska. As I understand it, in his next life, he expects to be the first female Creolo anchorwoman on national TV.