An odyssey of suturing cardiac wounds: Lessons from the past

Background and aim of the study Cardiac wounds have been described for centuries and still remain to be fatal. For a long period of time, the suturing of a myocardial laceration was thought to be absolutely impossible if not sacrilege. Methods It is only at the end of the 19th century that pioneers decided to defy such a dogma in desperate cases. Results Nowadays, it seems obvious that a cardiac stab wound requires emergent surgery whenever possible. Conclusions The story of cardiac wounds highlights nicely the change of mind that is required to accept progress and new procedures in medicine.