Host: Martin Samuels, MD Guest: Denton Cooley, MD In April, 1969, the first artificial heart was implanted as a bridge until a human heart could be implanted. It was hailed as a milestone medical treatment, but the ethical implications were widely debated as well. The heart surgeon who performed this ground-breaking surgery, in addition to devising pioneering surgical treatments for infants and children and founding the Texas Heart Institute, Dr. Denton Cooley, is Dr. Martin Samuels' guest.