Has the time come to rename the Blalock-Taussig shunt?

OBJECTIVE

To describe the contribution of Vivien Thomas to the scientific and technical development of the Blalock-Taussig shunt.

DESIGN

Review of the literature and of the papers of Vivien Thomas, Alfred Blalock, and Helen Thomas. Literature review was done using MEDLINE, Ovid, and Library of Congress databases for topics including Vivien Thomas, Alfred Blalock, Helen Taussig, and tetralogy of Fallot. Bibliographies of articles were also searched.

SETTING

The papers of Thomas, Blalock, and Taussig were reviewed at the Alan M. Chesney Medical Archives at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions.

PATIENTS/SUBJECTS: None.

INTERVENTIONS: None.

RESULTS

Vivien Thomas was a primary contributor in both the scientific basis for and the surgical technical aspect of the Blalock-Taussig shunt. He did much of the fundamental studies in Dr. Blalock's laboratory by himself. Blalock was able to do only one practice procedure in the animal model before performing the first surgery in a 15-month-old girl with tetralogy of Fallot. Thomas stood behind Blalock during the procedure to provide advice to Blalock.

CONCLUSIONS

Thomas' essential contributions to the development of the Blalock-Taussig shunt remain obscured by the stature of Alfred Blalock and Helen Taussig. This oversight should be corrected.