A devastating turn of events forces Walt Lillehei to re-think his approach to open heart surgery. In Houston, Denton Cooley’s swift rise plunges him into a battle of egos with his boss and mentor, Michael DeBakey.

 

For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery," published by Post Hill Press in 2024.

 

Presented by: Chris Pine
Written and Narrated by: Jamie Napoli

 
Executive Producers: Cristina Everett for iHeartPodcasts; Dub Cornett and Jason Ross for OSO Studios; Gerald Imber; Eric A. Rose, M.D.; John Mankiewicz; Joshua Paul Johnson; and Jamie Napoli

Supervising Producer: James A. Smith

Editing and Sound Design by: Joshua Paul Johnson

Composer: David Mansfield Cover Artwork by: Alexander Smith

Production Companies: iHeartPodcasts, OSO Studios, and 13th Lake Media

Production Legal Services: Jacqueline Eckhouse & Mel Pudig, Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo; and Lincoln Bandlow, Lincoln Bandlow Law 

Archival Materials Courtesy of: The University of Minnesota Archives, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Special Collections, University of Rhode Island Library; and G. Wayne Miller, author of  "King of Hearts: The True Story of the Maverick Who Pioneered Open Heart Surgery"    

Additional Archival Materials Courtesy of: "Nova" (WGBH Boston & PBS 1988 & 1999); Minnesota Historical Society; Vanderbilt University; and Medtronic

Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: Music Bed; Premium Beat; Storyblocks; Artlist; APM; Envato Market; Incompetech; and Podcast Music

This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.

Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.

 

 

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