Helen Harris, formerly Helen Arnold, was the first patient to undergo ‘hole-in-the-heart’ or ventricular septal defect surgery in 1958. Fifty years later she was reunited with the two surviving members of the pioneering medical team: Sid Yarrow, the technician in charge of the Melrose heart-lung machine which made the surgery possible, and anaesthetist Jack Watt.
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I was 5 years old when I had
Marie (not verified)
18 November 2013
I was 5 years old when I had open heart surgery performed by Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes, that would have been in late 1957 or early 1958. I had a pulmonary stenosis repaired. I believe that I was the last (only?) heart patient in NZ to be "chilled down" - placed in an ice bath to slow my heartbeat to allow the operation to proceed. Some weeks afterwards my cousin had a "hole in the heart" repaired, The family story says that she was the first to be operated on with the use of a heart - lung machine. She would have been 8 or 9 at the time. I'd like to be able to find out more details. Marie Edwards (nee Roigard)
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