In 1972, journalist Donald A. Schanche (1926-1994) conducted a series of interviews with DeBakey as part of his research for a planned biography. Schanche worked on the project for several years, but the book was never completed. Several letters in the NLM DeBakey Papers indicate that Schanche, though a talented, experienced writer and editor, had difficulty drafting DeBakey's life story because of the sheer number and variety of DeBakey's interests and achievements. In 1976, Schanche joined the Foreign Division of the Los Angeles Times, and moved to Cairo. It appears that neither he nor DeBakey were able to follow up with the biography.. Topics covered in this interview include: How blood transfusions were done before DeBakey developed his roller pump; mechanics of the roller pump; first use of the pump for transfusion; patenting medical innovations; working with Ochsner on thoracic surgeries, especially for lung cancer; learning to deal with surgical failures; first surgical experiences; fighting mediocrity and error in the operating room; raising standards and making changes in the early years at Baylor; using Army funding for early research work at Baylor; aneurysms and the challenges they present; Albert Einstein's fatal aneurysm; time as visiting professor of surgery at Harvard.
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