1. 1. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Vivien Thomas was the first African American without a doctorate degree to perform open heart surgery on a white patient in the United States. Vivien Thomas was an African-American lab supervisor who developed a procedure to treat blue baby syndrome. Feb 18, 2020 - This board highlights Vivien Thomas, scientist and educator. He helped develop treatments for blue baby syndrome during the 1940s. Thomas, an African-American without a college degree, is a gifted mechanic and tool-maker with hands splendidly adept at surgery. Enter email address to receive updates from Face2face Africa But Vivien Thomas was a pivotal player in the development of a true breakthrough at The Johns Hopkins Hospital just 60 years ago. The Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Shunt. After trials on dogs, their first patient is … In 1929, he enrolled as a premedical student at Tennessee Agricultural and Industrial College after working as a hospital attendant to raise money for college. Remembering Vivien Thomas, the young black man who invented the "Blue Baby" syndrome treatment - Face2Face Africa Vivien Thomas, a talented carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee who was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on August 29, 1910, created a technique to fix ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’ via heart surgery. In 1941, Blalock and Thomas take on the challenge of blue babies and invent bypass surgery. problem of the blue-baby in relation to some sort of arterial shunt that would furnish more blood to the lungs. Eleven years later, Blalock was recruited back to Johns Hopkins, and he requested that Thomas accompany him, and again they re-established a surgical lab in Baltimore. Vivien Thomas helped develop solutions for blue baby syndrome, trauma shock and heart disorders, despite only a high school education. Alfred Blalock (April 5, 1899 – September 15, 1964) was an American surgeon most noted for his work on the medical condition of shock as well as Tetralogy of Fallot— commonly known as Blue baby syndrome. The technique, anastomosis of the subclavian artery to the pulmonary artery, was used in many tetralogy of Fallot (blue-baby syndrome) operations with great success. 12.Why did Vivien Thomas cause such a controversy when he went out of the lab in his white lab coat? Vivien Thomas. Vivien Thomas helped develop solutions for blue baby syndrome, trauma shock and heart disorders, despite only a high school education. Black History: Vivien Thomas and the Blue Babies. McCarthy and Stalin – Political Brothers? Blue Baby Syndrome is a type of a blood disorder, in which the blood is not able to be oxygenated enough. Vivien Thomas was the first African American without a doctorate degree to perform open heart surgery on a white patient in the United States. Thomas was supposed to be in his first semester of college, and had planned to become a doctor, but his life savings was wiped out in the stock market crash that set off the Great Depression. Dr. Taussig was researching a cure for tetralogy of Fallot, which is a cardiac anomaly that causes babies to display a blue color (hence the term “blue baby syndrome.”) The disease was 100% fatal and Dr. Taussing was passionate about finding a solution. He went on to train young surgeons in surgical procedures and black lab technicians on their daily duties, yet his pay was substandard and he often worked a second job to get by. “You see,” explains Cooley, “it was Vivien who had worked it all out in the lab, in the canine heart, long before Dr. Blalock did Eileen, the first Blue Baby. Thomas was successful, and he convinced Dr. Blalock that the procedure was safe for humans. Submit. He taught Blalock the technique and also created the surgical instruments to perform the delicate operation. At Hopkins, Blalock and Thomas along with pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig, developed a groundbreaking surgical procedure to correct the Tetralogy of Fallot. In 1943, Dr. Blalock was asked for a consult by Dr. Helen Taussig . She could only take a few steps before beginning to breathe heavily. “The baby went from blue to pink the minute Dr. Blalock removed the clamps and her arteries began to function and Thomas stood on a little step stool, looking over Dr. Blalock’s right shoulder, answering questions and coaching every move”. Dr. Blalock became a celebrated surgeon, and Vivien Thomas worked alongside him as an assistant (surgical tech work). Many heads were turned as Vivien Thomas wore his white lab coat and walked past them in the halls of Hopkins. The operation she was about to undergo would be the first attempt to treat her congenital heart condition, which was called the tetralogy of Fallot or blue baby syndrome. Vivien Theodore Thomas: co-creator of the first surgical treatment for Blue-Baby Syndrome. Working together with Dr. Helen Taussig, they discovered a treatment for Blue Baby Syndrome. When Dr. Blalock was asked to take the position of Chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, he asked Thomas to accompany him, and he accepted. Dr. Vivien Theodore Thomas. Thomas and Dr. Blalock realized that the answer lay somewhere in the research they completed at Vanderbilt. He was born in Louisiana in 1910 and moved to Nashville as a child at a time when Jim Crow segregated blacks and whites. Vivien Thomas, a talented carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee who was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on August 29, 1910, created a technique to fix ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’ via heart surgery. He worked as a lab technician for Dr. Alfred Blalock, and together they developed a procedure to alleviate a congenital heart defect, the Tetralogy of Fallot, also known as blue baby syndrome. Helen Taussig’s idea for treating blue baby syndrome was to create a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, increasing blood flow to the lungs. Thomas helped train many of the surgeons at Johns Hopkins in the delicate techniques necessary for heart and lung surgery, and served as supervisor of the surgical laboratories at Johns Hopkins for thirty-five years. Vivien Thomas: Pioneer of Blue Baby Surgery Vivien Thomas was described as “the most untalked-about, unappreciated, unknown giant in the African American community” by one of his colleagues, Dr. Levi Watkins, an African American surgeon who performed the … The procedure became known as the Blalock-Taussig shunt, and it became a routine operation. According to reports, Thomas was responsible for perfecting the anastomotic modeling. In 1944, Taussig, surgeon Alfred Blalock, and surgical technician Vivien Thomas developed an operation to correct the congenital heart defect that causes the syndrome. 7. Thomas set the surgical instruments so that they could be used on humans, and on November 29, 1944, the then 34-year-old Vivien Thomas assisted the then 45-year-old Dr. Blalock during an operation on an 18 year old adolescent. Vivien was instrumental to preparing experiments and for the surgery itself. In Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas, author Gwendolyn Hooks tells the story of how Vivien Thomas developed a life-saving medical procedure.The surgical technique allowed babies born with the condition tetralogy of Fallot, or blue baby syndrome, to live. In January of 1930, Vivien Thomas took a job in Alfred Blalock’s Vanderbilt University Hospital laboratory. Why the United States Entered World War I, 123rd Machine Gun Battalion in the Meuse-Argonne, Northern Military Advantages in the Civil War, The Year Before America Entered the Great War. Blue Baby Syndrome, aka Tetralogy of Fallot (SN- for those that read my blog during CHD Awareness Week you may remember my daughter was born with this.. read more here ): In Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas, author Gwendolyn Hooks tells the story of how Vivien Thomas developed a life-saving medical procedure.The surgical technique allowed babies born with the condition tetralogy of Fallot, or blue baby syndrome, to live. Working together with Dr. Helen Taussig, they discovered a treatment for Blue Baby Syndrome. Because of a defect in the heart ventricle walls, deoxygenated blood sometimes mixes with the blood from the lungs. Blue Baby Syndrome which in medical terms is known by the name of methemoglobinemia is an extremely rare condition found in newborns, in which the color of the baby’s skin is blue tinged. Vivien Thomas abandoned his dream of becoming a doctor when he realized that he would be in his early 50s when he began to practice. The pair completed two more successful surgeries, and Dr. Blalock received worldwide recognition – while Vivien Thomas was never mentioned. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Yet he did not let the era’s institutional racism deter him from his dream of attending Tennessee State College and then going on to medical school. Vivien Thomas was son to a carpenter and grandson to a slave. He was hired to assist Dr. Alfred Blalock, and his work consisted of cleaning cages and feeding dogs that were used for laboratory experiments. In the early 1940’s, Vivien moved with Alfred to Johns Hopkins University. Thomas helped to develop the procedure used in the "blue baby" operation, first performing it on dogs and later assisting Blalock through the first operations on infants and children. In 1944, Taussig, surgeon Alfred Blalock, and surgical technician Vivien Thomas developed an operation to correct the congenital heart defect that causes the syndrome. Vivien Thomas was a pioneer in the field of surgery. His grandfather was a slave, and he spent his lifetime in racially segregated institutions, from primary school to his prestigious career at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. In 1944 after developing and perfecting a life-saving surgical procedure, Thomas guided Dr. Alfred Blalock, the very doctor that hired him, through the successful completion of the groundbreaking surgery. At Vanderbilt University, Vivien Thomas and Dr. Alfred Blalock produced groundbreaking research in the area of vascular and cardiac surgery – to which Thomas was highly instrumental. Blue Baby Syndrome is a type of a blood disorder, in which the blood is not able to be oxygenated enough. NARRATOR: The toughest challenge would be to duplicate the blue baby syndrome in laboratory animals. Her Love: To bring to fore the activities of women making a global impact. Cooley, in a report, recounted the tension in the operating room that November morning in 1944 as Dr. Blalock rebuilt a little girl’s tiny, twisted heart. A new era in heart surgery began at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in 1944, when Alfred Blalock, Vivien Thomas, and Helen Taussig debuted a daring procedure that would eventually save thousands of deathly-ill children. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. White lab coats were worn by doctors or people performing a task that required expertise. Within the medical community at Johns Hopkins, Vivien Thomas became widely respected and revered. The procedure to correct Blue Baby was painstakingly worked out by Thomas over a two-year period. A dramatization of the relationship between heart surgery pioneers Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Vivien Theodore Thomas was born in Louisiana in 1910. Blue Baby Syndrome which in medical terms is known by the name of methemoglobinemia is an extremely rare condition found in newborns, in which the color of the baby’s skin is blue tinged. Vivien Thomas was son to a carpenter and grandson to a slave. There were no ‘cardiac experts’ then. Feb 18, 2020 - This board highlights Vivien Thomas, scientist and educator. 6. There, Thomas worked towards finding a way to treat Blue Baby Syndrome, a life threatening disease affecting infants. In nearly two years of laboratory work involving some 200 dogs, demonstrated that the corrective procedure was not lethal, thus persuading Blalock that the operation could be safely attempted on a human patient. Unfortunately, the Great Depression took a toll on his plans and he had to work in lieu of college. White lab coats were worn by doctors or people performing a task that required expertise. “Vivien Thomas wasn’t a doctor. There they continued conducting research. Used to promote blood flow in cyanotic newborns with congenital heart defects, this pioneering surgical treatment has since been used by surgeons around the globe to help thousands of “blue babies.” He is best known for his work in helping develop the “Blue Baby” operation. Face2Face Africa is black owned and operated. In 2004, a movie titled “Something the Lord Made” was based on Thomas’ life story. The blue baby syndrome had made her lips and fingers turn blue, with the rest of her skin having a very faint blue tinge. In 1929, the high school graduate started college in Tennessee majoring in pre-medicine. But ultimately the fact that Thomas was black didn’t matter either. Helen Brooke Taussig is known as the founder of pediatric cardiology for her innovative work on "blue baby" syndrome. Vivien Thomas was born in Louisiana. The team consisted of surgeon Alfred Blalock (1899-1964), pediatric cardiologist Helen B. Taussig (1898-1986), and surgical technician Vivien T. Thomas (1910-1985). Blue baby syndrome is a condition wherein newborn babies have bluishness in their bodies owing to congenital heart conditions. Apr 30, 2018 - Explore Kay Smith's board "Vivien Thomas" on Pinterest. Unfortunately, the bank crashed that year and he lost his life’s savings and as a result, he was compelled to drop out of school. Blue-baby syndrome, or blue baby is usually caused by a heart defect which laymen often call "a hole in the heart". Vivien Thomas, a talented carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee who was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on August 29, 1910, created a technique to fix ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’  via heart surgery. First Thomas had to create the defect in a dog before they could correct it. Thomas’ contributions as a surgical technician with such outstanding skill and accomplishment never got acknowledgment until 1976 after Blalock’s death, when Johns Hopkins University awarded him an honorary doctorate. In November 1944, the history of medicine was changed forever when the first surgery to correct the Tetralogy of Fallot on a baby was successfully performed by Blalock, aided by Thomas. This fact was revealed in Thomas’s autobiography published in 1985 “Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and His Work with Alfred Blalock: An Autobiography”. Vivien Thomas died November 26, 1985 of pancreatic cancer, but his contribution to medicine and to black history is documented in his autobiography, Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and his Work with Alfred Blalock, the PBS documentary Partners of the Heart (2003), and the HBO film Something the Lord Made (2004). Dr. Taussig was researching a cure for tetralogy of Fallot, which is a cardiac anomaly that causes babies to display a blue color (hence the term “blue baby syndrome… Before Thomas and Blalock developed the Blue Baby operation, 25 percent of babies born with this condition died before their first birthday-by the age of ten, 70 percent would die. Thomas was charged with the task of first creating a blue baby-like condition (cyanosis) in a dog, then correcting the condition by means of the pulmonary-to-subclavian anastomosis. Vivien Thomas Vivien Thomas was born in 1910 into the segregated American South. Working with surgeon Alfred Blalock and pediatric cardiologist Helen Taussig, Thomas was part of a team that devised a means to correct a congenital heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot, or Blue Baby syndrome. Vivien Thomas, a talented carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee who was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on August 29, 1910, created a technique to fix ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’ via heart surgery. (Sun file photo) 'Technician' showed surgeon what to … Vivien T. Thomas was an African American, His grand father was a slave, working in an era when institutional racism was the norm. At Blalock’s request, Thomas stood behind his shoulder and directed his actions during the operation. was an Hebrew surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. He attempted to enroll at Morgan State University, but he was deterred when they refused to grant him credit for life experience. Vivien Thomas Vivien Thomas was born in 1910 into the segregated American South. According to Vivien Thomas’ wife, he was always interested in pursuing medical school. Blalock and Thomas realized that the solution to blue baby syndrome was based on a procedure they had perfected in their work at Vanderbilt which increased blood flow to the lungs. Remembering Vivien Thomas, the young black man who invented the "Blue Baby" syndrome treatment - Face2Face Africa Vivien Thomas, a talented carpenter from Nashville, Tennessee who was born in New Iberia, Louisiana on August 29, 1910, created a technique to fix ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’ via heart surgery. There they continued conducting research. Vivien T. Thomas was tasked with creating a blue-baby-like condition in a dog, and correcting it by means of pulmonary-to-subclavian anastomosis (increasing blood flow to the lungs). Because no instruments for cardiac surgery then existed, Thomas adapted the needles and clamps for the procedure from those in use in the animal lab. Vivien T. Thomas was born in New Iberia, Louisiana in 1910, the son of a carpenter. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Later Dr. Blalock wrote, "Vivien Thomas, my superb technician, and I performed many experiments with this end in view." He helped develop treatments for blue baby syndrome during the 1940s. Vivien Thomas was born in New Iberia, Louisiana. The 1,000th Blue Baby operation was a happy occasion for Vivien Thomas and surgeon Alfred Blalock, who is pictured here with one of the babies in a Yousef Karsh portrait. Yet he did not let the era’s institutional racism deter him from his dream of attending Tennessee State College and then going on to medical school. What mattered was that Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas could do historic things together that neither could do alone”. Theodora Aidoo is a young woman who is passionate about women-related issues. Submit, © 2011- 2021 Pana Genius. The Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Shunt Helen Taussig’s idea for treating blue baby syndrome was to create a connection between the aorta and the pulmonary artery, increasing blood flow to the lungs. All Rights Reserved. Visitors’ eyes widened at the sight of a black man running the lab. By 1940, Blalock’s research had put him head and shoulders above any young surgeon in America. 1. Blalock and Thomas had done a similar procedure in animal experiments attempting to … His family moved to Nashville, Tennessee where he graduated with honors from Pearl High School. 12.Why did Vivien Thomas cause such a controversy when he went out of the lab in his white lab coat? See more ideas about thomas, blue baby syndrome, black history. SOM Launches Vivien Thomas Fund to Increase Diversity. Something the Lord Made is a 2004 American made-for-television biographical drama film about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas (1910–1985) and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock (1899–1964), the "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery. Helen Brooke Taussig is known as the founder of pediatric cardiology for her innovative work on "blue baby" syndrome. Was Dr. Blalock a racist or a man who did as much as he could to help Vivien Thomas have a fulfilling career? Working together with Dr. Helen Taussig, they discovered a treatment for Blue Baby Syndrome. When Vivien Thomas arrived at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore in 1940, he found a racially segregated atmosphere much like the one he left behind in the south. According to Dr. Denton Cooley, who was then beginning work on his medical degree, “People stopped and stared at Thomas, flying down corridors in his white lab coat. As an intern, Dr. Cooley said he saw both Thomas and Blalock devise an operation to save infants born with a heart defect that sends blood past their lungs called “Blue Babies.”. In early 1930, Vivien Thomas was hired as a laboratory assistant at Vanderbilt University. Although Vivien Theodore Thomas, a black man in the 1930s, is originally hired as a janitor, he proves himself adept at assisting the "Blue Baby doctor," Alfred Blalock, with his medical research.When Blalock insists that Thomas follow him to Johns Hopkins University, they must find a way to skirt a racist system to continue their study of infant heart disease. He wasn’t even a college graduate. See more ideas about thomas, black history, blue baby syndrome. Denton Cooley and William Longmire. This young black man had no formal medical training, but developed techniques and tools that had led to what we know today as heart surgery. The only black employees at the hospital were janitors. In 1943, Dr. Blalock was asked for a consult by Dr. Helen Taussig . The 1,000th Blue Baby operation was a happy occasion for Vivien Thomas and surgeon Alfred Blalock, who is pictured here with one of the babies in a Yousef Karsh portrait. Thomas collaborated with Blalock and Dr. Helen Taussig to create a technique that delivered more oxygen to the blood and relieved constriction caused by a heart defect. The Blue Baby Operation. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome in the 1940s. Thomas was charged with the task of first creating a blue baby-like condition (cyanosis) in a dog, then correcting the condition by means of the pulmonary-to-subclavian anastomosis. Vivien Thomas said, "Our first attack on the Surgeon, Alfred Blalock Worldhistory.us - For those who want to understand the History, not just to read it. Vivien Thomas’ Groundbreaking Work with Blue Baby Syndrome. Many members of the racially segregated hospital were incensed that a black man was allowed such leeway, and most doubted his capabilities. Eventually, Dr. Blalock lobbied on his behalf and his pay increased. They developed a number of novel animal models. On November 29, 1944, the procedure was first tried on an eighteen-month-old infant named Eileen Saxon. That was the beginning.”. Subscribe, Join the conversation Share your thoughts, Enter Email Address In the early 1940’s, Vivien moved with Alfred to Johns Hopkins University. Search His legacy has been honoured with the naming of the Vivien Thomas High School Research Program at the Morehouse School of Medicine. After Vivien Thomas graduated from high school, he planned to attend college, then medical school to become a doctor. Thomas devoted much of his time to mentoring a number of African-American lab technicians. ( 2004-05-30) Something the Lord Made is a 2004 American made-for-television biographical drama film about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas (1910–1985) and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock (1899–1964), the "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery. Considered the father of modern cardiac surgery, Dr. Alfred Blalock reportedly hired Thomas as a laboratory assistant in 1930 while at Vanderbilt University and together they conducted experiments that focused on the treatment of hemorrhagic shock. He was the assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and later at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Directed by Joseph Sargent. Thomas went on to train so many surgical residents in his lab at Hopkins, including Drs. “Blue Baby Syndrome,” or cyanosis, causes the skin to take on a blue tint due to a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream, most commonly caused by a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot. He only had a high school education, but he did not let racism, poverty, or lack of schooling stop him from attaining great competence in the field of cardiac surgery. He was the assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and later at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Vivien was instrumental to preparing experiments and for the surgery itself. Vivien Theodore Thomas Vivien Thomas' autobiography, Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and His Work With Alfred Blalock Dr. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American surgical technician who developed the procedures used to treat blue baby syndrome … He worked as a lab technician for Dr. Alfred Blalock, and together they developed a procedure to alleviate a congenital heart defect, the Tetralogy of Fallot, also known as blue baby syndrome. Vivien was instrumental to preparing experiments and for the surgery itself. Dr. Alfred Blalock died in 1964, and Vivien Thomas remained at Johns Hopkins Hospital for another 15 years. With Alan Rickman, Yasiin Bey, Kyra Sedgwick, Gabrielle Union. Vivien Thomas was doing the work of a surgical technologist, and it angered many hospital employees. Vivien Thomas The first Blalock-Taussig shunt (BT shunt) was performed at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in 1944. Vivien Theodore Thomas (August 29, 1910 – November 26, 1985) was an African-American laboratory supervisor who developed a procedure used to treat blue baby syndrome (now known as cyanotic heart disease) in the 1940s. See more ideas about thomas, black history, blue baby syndrome. It was Vivien Thomas’ job to create the condition in laboratory dogs and to perform the surgical procedure to correct the condition. He was an assistant to surgeon Alfred Blalock in Blalock's experimental animal laboratory at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and later at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Normally, oxygenated blood from the lungs is separated from deoxygenated blood from other tissues. Blalock and Thomas had done a similar procedure in animal experiments attempting to … Something The Lord Made is a biopic about the black cardiac pioneer Vivien Thomas and his complex and volatile partnership with white surgeon Alfred Blalock, the world famous "Blue Baby doctor" who pioneered modern heart surgery.Based on the National Magazine Award-winning Washingtonian magazine article "Like Something the Lord Made" by Katie McCabe, the film was directed by Joseph … Vivien Thomas was the 'technician' who helped Dr. Alfred Blalock and Dr. Helen Taussig develop the 'blue baby' operation at Johns Hopkins. This stems from her journalism background from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and Ghana Institute of Journalism. Vivien Theodore Thomas was appointed instructor of surgery at John Hopkins School of Medicine. He was just so smart, and so skilled, and so much his own man, that it didn’t matter,” noted Cooley. 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