Nothing like a good feud to spark competition: First use of the total artificial heart

As a native Houstonian, the notoriety surrounding Dr. Denton A Cooley's implantation of the total artificial heart on Good Friday, April 4, 1969, was inescapable. At the time, Drs. Cooley and Michael E. DeBakey were the two most famous surgeons in Houston and much of the world. They had worked together professionally for 18 years, revolutionizing cardiothoracic surgery and mastering aortic surgery from beginning to end. However, this working relationship ended abruptly, and one of the most famous feuds in medicine began. Little did I know at the time that I would train with both men, work in both their respective institutions (which are located on the most competitive block of the Texas Medical Center), and play a role four decades later as their relationship rekindled. Here, I recount what I have come to learn about these events.