Dr. Donald B. Effler Remembered

Deceased: Donald B. Effler, MD on August 24, 2004, at the age of 89. A giant in cardiothoracic surgery, he was the head of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic from 1949 to 1975. There he and his colleagues developed techniques for visualizing the coronary arteries and then surgically bypassing the obstructions. A native of New York City, he received his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Michigan, receiving his MD degree in 1941. He was the 5th President of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Read the tribute to Dr. Effler by his distinguished pupil, Dr. Floyd Loop.