Dr. Victor Chang, a Chinese-Australian surgeon who pioneered cardiac and transplant surgery, is honoured in this Doodle. This day in 1936, in Shanghai, was Dr. Chang’s born.
Dr. Chang became interested in medical at an early age after learning that his mother had breast cancer. He studied the University of Sydney to study medicine and surgery before beginning his residency training at St. Vincent’s Hospital and going on to serve at a number of hospitals across the globe. In 1972, he made his way back to Australia and started working as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital.
One of his biggest contributions to medicine was the development of the mechanical heart valve for St. Vincent. It was globally accessible for use in life-saving procedures since it was far less expensive than earlier variants.
In 1984, when Fiona Coote was just 14 years old, Dr. Chang successfully performed a heart transplant on the youngest patient from Australia. Fiona is the longest-surviving heart transplant patient in Australia, having undergone two more transplants in as many years.
The fact that Dr. Chang was named Australian of the Century at the 1999 People’s Choice Awards and was awarded Australia’s highest accolade, the Companion of the Order of Australia, in 1986 speaks much about the importance of his contributions to medical advancement.
Dr. Chang was passionate about sharing knowledge to improve healthcare around the world. The Victor Chang Foundation was founded by him in 1984. The Foundation provides grants to teach surgeons from South East Asia so they can be trained in advanced cardiac surgery, including heart transplantation, at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney. Additionally, initiatives that explore innovation in cardiac surgery are awarded grants.
To celebrate his legacy, the Research Institute was established in 1994 and is still dedicated to finding cures, preventative measures, and tests for cardiovascular disease. Medical developments and life-saving technologies are made possible by these organisations.
Thank you for your amazing work and for sharing the gift of life with others. Dr. Chang Victor.