Page 5 - An Innovation Spirit ...
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firsts

                    Changing the way
              cardiac surgery is practised

             With a history of “firsts” and a spirit of innovation among its staff, patients and benefactors,
               the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre has produced a legacy of breakthroughs in cardiovascular
                 medicine. Its pioneering research is influencing cardiac surgery across the world today

                                                                                       by Mary Gooderham

It was a discovery that would change the way surgery is done and transform the future
of cardiac medicine. In 1935, a team of researchers at Toronto General Hospital (TGH) led
by Charles Best, known for his involvement in the discovery of insulin, and Gordon Murray, a

prominent surgeon, developed a purified supply of heparin, a powerful blood anti-coagulant
that they used for the first time in patients. ¶ Heparin has remained essential in medicine,
preventing blood clots from forming in procedures from open heart surgery to organ transplants,

and preventing blood clots from enlarging in conditions such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

And the hospital which now houses the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre (PMCC), has continued its

record of pioneering research, with a spirit of innovation among its staff, patients and benefactors

producing a legacy of breakthroughs in cardiovascular medicine.

Winter 2016                                                                                                    3
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