Francisco Romero was a Spanish physician who became the first successful heart surgeon, on record, by performing an open pericardiostomy to treat a

pericardial effusion A pericardial effusion is an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity. The pericardium is a two-part membrane surrounding the heart: the outer fibrous connective membrane and an inner two-layered serous membrane. The two layers of t ...

in 1801. According to a lost, but later found, memoir belonging to Romero, he performed at least two successful open pericardial drainages with no deaths. Also according to his memoir, he performed five open drainages of pleural effusions with success, with one patient dying at 6 months. Romero is credited as the first heart surgeon, since he was the first medical doctor on record to cut into the

pericardium The pericardium, also called pericardial sac, is a double-walled sac containing the heart and the roots of the great vessels. It has two layers, an outer layer made of strong connective tissue (fibrous pericardium), and an inner layer made of ...

, the lining of the heart, on a living patient with a successful outcome.

References

* Aris A (1997). Francisco Romero, the first heart surgeon. Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 64(3):870-1 Spanish cardiac surgeons Year of birth missing Year of death missing {{med-bio-stub