Texas Medical Center

University of Texas Medical Center in Houston is the largest group of hospital in one location in the world.  Several well known institutions participate and here is a partial list:  Methodist has earned worldwide recognition since it opened its doors in 1919.  Memorial Hermann is one of the nation's busiest Level I Trauma hospitals.  Saint Luke’s was founded in 1954. It has earned numerous awards.  Among the notable events was the first heart transplants by Dr. D. Cooley on May 3^rd, 1968. Texas Children’s is one of the largest pediatric hospitals in the country.  Texas Heart Institute is dedicated to reducing the devastating toll of cardiovascular disease through research, education, and improved patient care.  Two of physicians known for pioneering contributions in the field of cardiac and vascular surgery were that were Drs DeBakey and Cooley.  In 1953 DeBakey introduced Dacron grafts and he performed the first surgical correction of an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.  In 1964, DeBakey and his team performed the first heart bypass operation, using a leg vein to route blood around occluded coronary arteries.  Dr. DeBakey performed the first successful implantation of a ventricular assist device. The first artificial heart was surgically implanted by Dr. Denton Cooley, in 1969.  He also performed the first heart transplant in the United States.

MD Anderson Cancer Center is one of the world’s most respected centers devoted exclusively to cancer patient care, research and education.  MD Anderson is recognized worldwide as the premier cancer referral center.