A mystery of Vladimir P. Demikhov: the 50th anniversary of the first intrathoracic transplantation.

Vladimir P. Demikhov was the first to perform intrathoracic transplantation of the heart alone, lung alone, and the heart and lungs in a warm-blooded animal and the first to perform an experimental coronary artery bypass operation with success. He designed the first mechanical cardiac substitute and was one of the first to use the vascular stapling device in experiments. In 1960 Demikhov published the world's first monograph dealing with the subject of thoracic transplantation. This monograph, Experimental Transplantation of Vital Organs, became a "bible of intrathoracic transplantation" and deserves the recognition of everyone who is interested in organ transplantation. However, to say only that Demikhov was the first in the world who performed these operations is to say nothing. It is important to describe the circumstances under which these operations were done to appreciate the true scale of his innovations.