Dec. 26, 2006— - Dr. Michael DeBakey says he was reluctant to undergo the heart operation he pioneered because, at his age, he feared it might leave him mentally or physically crippled, if he survived it.
"I'd rather die," he told The New York Times in a rare interview for its Monday editions.
Nearly a year later, DeBakey, 98, is the oldest survivor of the operation he developed to repair a damaged aorta, the main artery from the heart. He is back to working nearly full days and walks increasingly longer distances, but he mainly gets around with a motorized scooter.
"It is a miracle," DeBakey said. "I really should not be here."
DeBakey is considered the father of modern cardiovascular surgery, pioneering now common procedures such as bypass surgery and inventing a host of devices to help heart patients. He talked with the Times about his operation and recovery.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/print?id=2751603
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