Ontario’s Children’s Hospitals rename cardiac procedure to recognize critical role of Black pioneer Vivien Thomas

In a move to honour the groundbreaking contributions of Black surgical pioneer Vivien Thomas, Ontario’s five children’s hospitals have officially renamed the cardiac procedure previously known as the Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt to the Blalock-Thomas-Taussig (BTT) shunt. This collective change recognizes the indispensable role played by Vivien Thomas in the development of paediatric cardiac surgery and serves to highlight the importance of Black pioneers in medicine. Medical historians have expressed that Thomas is perhaps the “most untalked about, unappreciated, unknown giant in the African American community” (Blake & Yancy, 2022).  Thomas made significant contributions to the medical field, influencing a generation of surgeons and lab technicians. On November 29, 1944, Dr. Alfred Blalock, Chief of Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, carried out a groundbreaking operation to treat a disorder known as tetralogy of Fallot, a common cause of ‘blue baby’ syndrome. This procedure is used on babies with heart defects that affect blood flow to the lungs. The procedure was initially named after two of the pioneers: Dr. Blalock and Dr. Helen Taussig.  What is notably absent is the contribution of another team member: Vivien Thomas. In 1929, Thomas, who aspired to a career as a physician, enrolled in college.  When...