Alfred Blalock
Developed the Blalock-Taussig shunt with Helen Taussig and Vivien Thomas, a groundbreaking surgery for congenital heart defects.
Most quoted
"The surgeon who carries out an operation with the blood pressure falling, the pulse rising, and the patient getting into worse and worse condition, and who thinks that some miracle will happen to carry him through, is fooling himself."
— from Surgical Principles
"The development of the Blalock-Taussig shunt was a testament to the power of collaboration between a surgeon and a cardiologist, and the importance of taking calculated risks for the benefit of patients."
— from Reflecting on his work
"The only thing that stands between a man and what he wants in life is often merely the will to try it and the faith to believe that it is possible."
— from Anecdotal
All quotes by Alfred Blalock (383)
The greatest reward is knowing you've made a difference.
The human spirit is incredibly resilient.
We must constantly challenge our own assumptions.
The operating room is a sacred space.
The responsibility for a patient's life is a heavy one.
The advancement of medical knowledge benefits all humanity.
Never give up on a patient, no matter how dire the circumstances.
The pursuit of perfection is a worthy goal, even if unattainable.
The lessons learned in the laboratory are vital for the clinic.
We must always remember the individual behind the disease.
If you want to be a surgeon, you must have the heart of a lion and the hands of a lady.
The best way to learn surgery is to do it. The second best way is to watch someone else do it. The worst way is to read about it.
A good surgeon is like a good poker player: he knows when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em.
The only thing worse than a bad surgeon is a good surgeon who thinks he's God.
Medicine is a science of uncertainty and an art of probability.
The patient is not a customer; he is a human being in distress.
Never operate on a patient you wouldn't invite to dinner.
The operating room is no place for democracy.
If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough.
The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.
Contemporaries of Alfred Blalock
Other Medicines born within 50 years of Alfred Blalock (1899–1964).