History of the Maritime Heart Center

Transplanting a heart in 1991

In the spring of 1976 an informal meeting involving Dr. Douglas Roy, Chief of Cardiology at the IWK, Emerson Moffitt Chief of Anaesthesia, Dr. Jim Standen of Radiology, Dr. Brian Chandler, Chief of Cardiology at the VGH and Dr. David Murphy, Head, Cardiac Surgery at the IWK and VGH regarding a proposal put forth by Dr. David Murphy to form an Atlantic Heart Center. The center would focus on improving the coordination and care of cardiovascular patients while still acknowledging that the research needs of the community were handled by the Nova Scotia Heart Foundation and Education by the Medical School.

On December 13, 1976 the first general meeting of 15 interested physicians was held. The name of the center was chosen as the Maritime Heart Center, recognizing that it would be addressing the needs of the three Maritime Provinces. A logo was created by Dr. David Murphy and adopted by the group.

A third meeting was held on January 31, 1977 when a slate of officers were elected. Dr. Ed Kinley reported that he had received the first donation to the Center of $15.00 from a Mrs. B. Graves. Thus the Center was incorporated and in July 1978 the Center received notice of it official status as a registered charity.

Over the years the Center has funded numerous pieces of equipment not readily supplied by the hospital, which have directly improved patient care. On one occasion one grateful patient purchased a $25,000 heart/lung support pump that now bears his name. Another patient contributed an equal amount to buy an intra-aortic balloon, which was not available when he was a patient. The Center, through its Educational Travel Grants for non-physicians, has sent numerous personnel away for further training in cardiac care that has subsequently benefited out patients. The Center has also contributed money to start up Clinical Programs and aided the Post Operative Cardiac Rehabilitation program with start up money.

Brief History of the Division of Cardiac Surgery

Initial attempts at closed cardiac operations began in the 1940s in Halifax through Dr. Jack Merritt, who at that time was a thoracic surgeon. Dr. Victor Mader, also a thoracic surgeon, was said to have performed the first mitral commissurotomy in 1953. Dr. Merritt ligated the first ductus arterioses in the late 1940s. Closed cardiac operations were done sporadically over the next decade with operations such as closed mitral commissurotomy and ligation of patent ductus being carried out over that time frame. Dr. Gerald Dolan was the first formally trained cardiac surgeon to return to Halifax in 1956. Dr. Dolan began a career in cardiac and vascular surgery and continued doing closed procedures as well as inflow occlusion procedures on atrial septal defects. This was carried on through the late 1950s and early 1960s. Dr. C. Edwin Kinley returned to Halifax in 1965 after having trained extensively in cardiac surgery both in England and the Cleveland Clinic and he and Dr. Dolan then began what was the formal practice of cardiac surgery in Halifax. In 1967 cardiopulmonary bypass capabilities were brought to Halifax and the era of “open heart” surgery had begun. Unfortunately, the progress over the ensuing decade was quite slow with small numbers of procedures being done. This was the result of many reasons not the least of which was the huge responsibility of the two cardiovascular surgeons at the time in both cardiac and vascular surgery as well as thoracic surgery.

Dr. Emerson Moffitt returned to Halifax in the early 1970s as the new Head of Anaesthesia. Dr. Moffitt had an outstanding career in cardiac anaesthesia at the Mayo clinic where he had been instrumental in the outstanding results of Dr. Dwight McGoon here in cardiac surgery. Dr. Moffitt, at that time, along with Dr. Brian Chandler from the division of Cardiology perceived an opportunity for developing cardiac surgery in Halifax. Serendipitously at this time, Dr. David Murphy had been recruited by the Children’s Hospital to advance the development of congenital cardiac surgery there. Drs. Moffitt, Chandler, and Murphy formed the new nucleus of what was to be the foundation of modern cardiac surgery in Halifax. It was largely through the efforts of these three individuals that the cardiac surgical service, which we have in place in Halifax today, was developed. It was through the co-operative efforts of these three individuals that the axis of cardiac surgery, anaesthesia, and cardiology developed over the next 20 years. Dr. Murphy’s contributions over the next decade in the fields of clinical cardiac surgery, education, and research were outstanding and much of the infrastructure in place at the present time was developed through his efforts in co-operation with Drs. Chandler and Moffitt.

The scope of the clinical activity in cardiac surgery increased from some 70 cases per year in the early 1970s to now 1200 adults and some 150 pediatric procedures per year. In addition to the huge growth in numbers the clinical results continued to improve to their present state of excellence.