Heart on Film

The University produced a film that recreated the events that lead up to the world's first direct vision dry field open heart surgery in 1952.  The film features a fictional patient named "Nancy," and describes her journey as a patient from her admittance to the Variety Heart Club Hospital, to diagnosis, operation, and recovery.  Though actors portray Nancy and her parents, the film features the actual doctors that performed the operation, F. John Lewis, Mansur Taufic, Richard Varco, and C. Walton Lillehei.

The title reads:

"One Victory in the long struggle against heart disease was fought and won in the Variety Club Heart Hospital on the campus of the University of Minnesota."

"this is what it was like to one who participated..."