Cardiovascular Surgeon
A cardiovascular surgeon performs many different types of surgery on the heart and blood vessels, including replacement of heart valves and bypasses of blocked coronary arteries. Open heart surgery came into its own during the 1950s and underwent further refinement in the 1960s and 1970s. More than four decades have passed since the first heart transplant. In 1982, the first implantation of an artificial heart took place.
Training in cardiovascular surgery includes the completion of a general surgery residency, followed by two or three years of specialized training.