Champ Lyons, Holt McDowell, and the evolution of vascular surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham: a personal perspective.

The history of medical centers, hospitals, clinics, and their evolution are important contributions and resources to medical history. Likewise, evolution of specialties within these healthcare centers frequently parallels their growth and development. This contribution depicts the evolution of a specialty, vascular surgery, within a major medical center, the University of Alabama at Birmingham. It recounts the major participants involved and their contributions and pioneering efforts, some of which have received little attention or were overshadowed by other events. Perspectives from participants--a patient and a trainee--provide insight into this process that has supported the growth and development of a major world-class medical center.