Vincent L. Gott, MD
While an intern and instructor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Vincent L. Gott observed a surgery to repair the ventricular septal defect of a 1-year old, and expertly illustrated the child’s heart, perfusion apparatus and room setup. The lead surgeon, Dr. C. Walton Lillehei, known as the “father of open-heart surgery,” saw the illustration and invited Gott to join the cardiac surgery research laboratory. In this setting, Gott and his fellow researchers were instrumental in developing the first pacemaker.
Gott soon moved on to an assistant professor position at the University of Wisconsin Medical School, where he helped with the early development of artificial heart valves. In 1965, Gott was named cardiac surgeon-in-charge at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. During his time at Johns Hopkins, he trained and mentored more than 50 thoracic surgery residents and fellows. A 2020 Johns Hopkins news release stated: “He was the first to perform experiments proving that an electronic stimulator could jump-start the heartbeats of patients, a discovery that led to the development of modern pacemakers, which he also had a hand in creating. He revolutionized heart valve designs, performed the first heart transplant operation at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and perfected operational procedures for correcting congenital heart defects in patients with Marfan syndrome.”
Gott maintained his clinical practice until 1994, and continued his teaching and research. He studied myocardial metabolism and methods of cardiac protection during ischemic arrest, thromboresistant surfaces, and hemodynamic studies of balloon counterpulsation. In 2000, Johns Hopkins established the Vincent L. Gott Professorship in cardiac surgery. Upon retirement in 2008, he was named professor emeritus.
Gott was the founding director of the Broccoli Center for Aortic Diseases at Johns Hopkins, named after his patient Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Gott’s many awards include the Hekteon Gold Medal from the American Medical Association; Markle Foundation Award for teaching and research; University of Minnesota Surgical Alumnus of the Year; Wichita State’s Top 40 Shockers; president of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs; and president of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
Once retired, Gott collaborated with Willam Baumgartner to create a pictorial history of open-heart surgery. It includes 75 watercolor paintings illustrating a specific heart defect and portraits of 26 heart surgeons.
After serving in the Navy at the end of World War II, Gott attended Wichita State and earned a bachelor of science in biological sciences. He went on to attend the Yale School of Medicine, where his interest in surgery was cemented.