Posted on June 13, 2001 at 11:30 a.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — Dr. John W. Kirklin, pioneering heart surgeon and former chairman of the UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) Department of Surgery, was honored recently with the 2001 American Surgical Association (ASA) Medallion for Scientific Achievement. The ASA, established in 1878, is the oldest surgical association in the United States. It only presents this award on special occasions.
The ASA cited Kirklin for such contributions as the development of the heart-lung bypass machine. He and colleagues at Mayo Clinic and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine physically constructed a heart-lung machine after the inventor John Gibbons presented him with the blueprints. Kirklin used the Mayo-Gibbons pump oxygenator for the first time in 1955. The successful operation led the way to widespread use of cardio-pulmonary bypass and launched open-heart surgery into a standard option for many conditions. The award also noted that he co-authored a widely-praised textbook for cardiac surgery with a former trainee and colleague, Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes.
Kirklin rose to prominence at Mayo Clinic on the basis of his pioneering work in cardiac surgery, surgical prowess, and organizational skill. In 1966, when chairman of surgery at Mayo, he was enticed to join UAB to build its surgery department into a force of international excellence. He served as surgery chairman until1982, building a department that today treats patients from all corners of the globe. He also was director of cardiothoracic surgery and of the Cardiovascular Research and Training Center. In addition, he guided the UAB physician practice group toward a vision of excellence, culminating with the construction of The Kirklin Clinic, an outpatient center modeled on the Mayo Clinic and named in his honor.
The scientific achievement medallion is the latest in a long line of honors and awards for Kirklin. Among them are the American Heart Association’s Distinguished Service Award and UAB’s Distinguished Faculty Lecturer designation. He is an honors graduate of the University of Minnesota and Harvard Medical School.