[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 30 (Thursday, March 8, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E313]]



                      HONORING DR. MICHAEL DeBAKEY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN BENTSEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 8, 2001

  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Michael DeBakey on the 
occasion of the dedication of the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center. For 
50 years, Methodist has been the home of internationally acclaimed 
heart surgeon Dr. Michael DeBakey, thereby attaining worldwide 
recognition for its state-of-the-art cardiovascular care. Dr. DeBakey 
has been a pioneer of modern medicine, and has helped raise the 
standard of health care for all mankind. His list of accomplishments, 
from his innovations in open-heart surgery to his recent pioneering 
work in the field of telemedicine, is a catalog of many of the greatest 
accomplishments in the history of medicine.
  Dr. DeBakey serves as Chancellor Emeritus of Baylor College of 
Medicine, and is internationally recognized as the most famous heart 
surgeon in the world and a living legend. He is a senior attending 
surgeon at the Methodist Hospital, the largest hospital in the Texas 
Medical Center in my District. This prolific surgeon and humanitarian 
has performed more than 60,000 cardiovascular procedures and has 
trained thousands of surgeons who practice around the world. Dr. 
DeBakey's name is affixed to a number of organizations, centers for 
learning, and projects devoted to medical education and health 
education for the general public. It is an honor to the Heart Center 
that the institution being dedicated on this occasion bears his name.
  The Methodist DeBakey Heart Center is a leader in the prevention, 
diagnosis, treatment, and research of heart disease. The Center has 
attracted world-renowned physicians who are continuing the ground-
breaking work of Dr. DeBakey and his associates, who developed many of 
the life-saving techniques at the Methodist Hospital. Annually, the 
Center performs more than 6,000 cardiac catheterizations, 2,500 
angioplasties, 1,300 open heart surgeries, and has performed more than 
425 heart transplants in the last 10 years. The Center is a joint 
effort between the Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, 
which share the common goal of improving quality of life and 
satisfaction among heart patients.
  While Dr. DeBakey's life-saving inventions and trailblazing 
techniques have awed the medical community over the years, his most 
treasured accomplishments are the family bonds he and his wife Katrin 
have managed to maintain despite a rigorous schedule. He is close to 
his four grown sons and daughter, as well as to his own siblings.
  Mr. Speaker, throughout his career, Dr. DeBakey has distinguished 
himself as a spectacular surgeon and a caring humanitarian to his 
patients. I command him on his inspiring five decades of service to the 
Houston Medical community, and I look forward to the medical advances 
that will continue to emanate from the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center.

                          ____________________