Åke Senning
Encyclopedia
Åke Senning was a pioneering Swedish cardiac surgeon, who implanted the first human implantable cardiac pacemaker in 1958, invented the Senning operation
, and contributed to many other advances.
Senning was influenced to become a cardiovascular surgeon when during his training, he heard of Clarence Crafoord
's operations to repair coarctation of the aorta. He trained under Crafoord from 1948 to 1956 in Sabbatsberg Hospital
, where he and the doctor turned engineer Rune Elmqvist
developed the first totally implantable pacemaker
. From 1956, Senning led the Department of Experimental Surgery at Karolinska Hospital. In 1957 Senning performed the first repair of a common congenital heart malformation called transposition of the great arteries or TGA. He made history on October 8, 1958 by implanting the first pacemaker. Although this first device lasted only a few hours, it proved the feasibility of the procedure and opened the way to a new field in the area of device therapy. In 1961, Senning became head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Zurich
and in 1969 he performed the first heart transplant in Switzerland. He retired in 1985 and died in 2000 at the age of 84.
Senning procedure
Senning procedure is a surgical technique named after its inventor, the Swedish cardiac surgeon Åke Senning , also known for implanting the first permanent cardiac pacemaker in 1958.- Brief History :...
, and contributed to many other advances.
Senning was influenced to become a cardiovascular surgeon when during his training, he heard of Clarence Crafoord
Clarence Crafoord
Clarence Crafoord was a Swedish cardiovascular surgeon, best known for performing the first successful repair of aortic coarctation on 19 October 1944, one year before Robert E...
's operations to repair coarctation of the aorta. He trained under Crafoord from 1948 to 1956 in Sabbatsberg Hospital
Sabbatsbergs sjukhus
Sabbatsbergs sjukhus is a hospital in Vasastan, Stockholm. It was opened in 1879.In 1986, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was pronounced dead at 00:06 CET on March 1 at Sabbatsbergs Hospital, after having been shot in the street earlier that night.The emergency clinic at Sabbatsberg closed in 1994...
, where he and the doctor turned engineer Rune Elmqvist
Rune Elmqvist
Rune Elmqvist developed the first implantable pacemaker in 1958, working under the direction of Åke Senning, senior physician and cardiac surgeon at the Karolinska University Hospital in Solna, Sweden....
developed the first totally implantable pacemaker
Pacemaker
An artificial pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses to regulate the beating of the heart.Pacemaker may also refer to:-Medicine:...
. From 1956, Senning led the Department of Experimental Surgery at Karolinska Hospital. In 1957 Senning performed the first repair of a common congenital heart malformation called transposition of the great arteries or TGA. He made history on October 8, 1958 by implanting the first pacemaker. Although this first device lasted only a few hours, it proved the feasibility of the procedure and opened the way to a new field in the area of device therapy. In 1961, Senning became head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
and in 1969 he performed the first heart transplant in Switzerland. He retired in 1985 and died in 2000 at the age of 84.