1956

Paul Zoll reported successful use of external shock to defibrillate the heart (Howell IV, 285) that utilized a standard physiological stimulator . Lillehei, at Univ. of Minnesota, begins use of cross-circulation (a person, preferably a parent, as a live oxygenator) and then cardio-pulmonary bypass in surgical repair of cardiac defects of children, with some 10% of those who underwent ventricular septal repair developing heart block. After winter storm knocked out power in 1957 (with no hospital backup) Lillehei had Earl Bakken (Medtronics rep working in hospital) build a battery-powered external pacemaker , which enabled the post-op children to be maintained “with the wire-suture electrodes and am external, battery-powered pacemaker” (Furman, 2026).