Dodrill-GMR
Encyclopedia
The Dodrill–GMR machine was the first operational mechanical heart successfully used while performing open heart surgery. It was developed by Dr. Forest Dewey Dodrill
, a surgeon at Harper University Hospital
in Detroit, and General Motors Research.
On July 3, 1952, 41-year-old Henry Opitek
suffering from shortness of breath made medical history at Harper University Hospital in Michigan. The Dodrill–GMR heart machine, considered by some to be the first operational mechanical heart was successfully used while performing heart surgery. The machine performs the functions of the heart, allowing doctors to detour blood and stop the heart of a patient during an operation. The machine is external of the body and is only used during an operation. Dr. Forest Dewey Dodrill, a surgeon at Wayne State University’s Harper Hospital in Detroit, developed the machine with funding from The American Heart Association and volunteer engineers from General Motors.
Dr. Dodrill used the machine in 1952 to bypass Henry Opitek
’s left ventricle for 50 minutes while he opened the patient's left atrium and worked to repair the mitral valve. In Dodrill’s post operative report
he notes, “To our knowledge, this is the first instance of survival of a patient when a mechanical heart mechanism was used to take over the complete body function of maintaining the blood supply of the body while the heart was open and operated on.
Forest Dewey Dodrill
Forest Dewey Dodrill was a doctor at Harper University Hospital at Wayne State University in Michigan.Forest Dewey Dodrill was born on 26 January 1902, in Webster Spring. After receiving a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University in 1925, he attended Harvard Medical School, graduating in...
, a surgeon at Harper University Hospital
Harper University Hospital
Harper University Hospital is one of eight hospitals and institutes that compose the Detroit Medical Center. Harper offers services in a broad range of clinical areas, including cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, organ transplant, plastic surgery, general surgery, bariatric endocrinology and...
in Detroit, and General Motors Research.
On July 3, 1952, 41-year-old Henry Opitek
Henry Opitek
Henry Opitek became the first patient to undergo open heart surgery in 1952.On July 3, 1952, Opitek, a 41-year-old male suffering from shortness of breath, made medical history at Harper University Hospital in Michigan...
suffering from shortness of breath made medical history at Harper University Hospital in Michigan. The Dodrill–GMR heart machine, considered by some to be the first operational mechanical heart was successfully used while performing heart surgery. The machine performs the functions of the heart, allowing doctors to detour blood and stop the heart of a patient during an operation. The machine is external of the body and is only used during an operation. Dr. Forest Dewey Dodrill, a surgeon at Wayne State University’s Harper Hospital in Detroit, developed the machine with funding from The American Heart Association and volunteer engineers from General Motors.
Dr. Dodrill used the machine in 1952 to bypass Henry Opitek
Henry Opitek
Henry Opitek became the first patient to undergo open heart surgery in 1952.On July 3, 1952, Opitek, a 41-year-old male suffering from shortness of breath, made medical history at Harper University Hospital in Michigan...
’s left ventricle for 50 minutes while he opened the patient's left atrium and worked to repair the mitral valve. In Dodrill’s post operative report
Operative report
An Operative report is a report written to document the details of a surgery. In most American states and in many other jurisdictions patients have a right to receive a copy of their medical records, including the operative report...
he notes, “To our knowledge, this is the first instance of survival of a patient when a mechanical heart mechanism was used to take over the complete body function of maintaining the blood supply of the body while the heart was open and operated on.