RECENT ADVANCES IN CARDIAC SURGERY1 1Read at a meeting of the Western Australian Branch in 1959

It is remarkable to reflect that surgery of the heart and great vessels began in earnest only just before the second World War. It is true, however, that for many years prior to this much time and thought had been given to the problems of cardiac surgery and much experimental work had been done. Cardiac wounds had been repaired and foreign bodies had been removed from the heart and pericardium. As long ago as 1925, Henry Souttar, of the London Hospital, reported the first operation was soon confirmed by many patient survived his operation, the value of the surgical relief of mitral stenosis was not appreciated by Mr. Souttar's colleagues, and the operation fell into disfavour