Los Banos Rotary Club History
Surgeon Tells Of New Techniques

Dr. Byron H. Evans noted thoracic surgeon of Fresno, Tuesday noon gave members of the local Rotary Club an enlightening review of the progress that has been made in thoracic surgery in the past few years, Dr. Evans a Fellow Member of the American Board of Surgeons and of the American College of Surgeons, used a blackboard to illustrate and explain the surgical miracles that are being performed on the heart and lungs in the hospitals of today.
Until a few years ago, he said, chest surgery was performed only as a last resort, and the fatality rate was exceptionally high, due to loss of blood, and after effects of the anesthetic that generally cause pneumonia. However, as early as 1870 surgeons learned to penetrate the thorax cavity with a hollow needle and inject air to collapse diseased lungs of tubercular patients. Later came the technique of removing portions of ribs and of servering nerves to inactive diseased portions of the lung.

It was not until 1930, the doctor said, that a surgeon was able to open the chest cavity and take out the diseased lung, which in the first successful attempt was cancerous. The successful operation opened an entirely new field of surgery that today is fast becoming commonplace.

Dr. Evans said this first successful operation on the heart itself was performed in 1940, when a surgeon succeeded in closing and re-routing a blood vessel entering the heart. Eight years later, in 1948, came the first successful operation to be performed inside a beating heart, entrance to which was made with special tools which penetrated the heart cavity through the blood vessel leading to the left auricle. The operation was to open and enlarge one of the valves inside the heart which had closed to such a degree that normal blood circulation was impossible. Today, many such operations have been successfully performed.

The doctor also told briefly of other newly developed techniques, including operations on newly born babies to correct chest cavity defeats, including the heart-caused condition known as "blue babies."

The doctor was introduced by Alwin Fittje, program chairman for the day.
Past President Charles Kaljain presided at the luncheon, in the absence of president Ken Anderson, who was ill. Also absent was pianist Lola Alden, with Miss Diane Meyer substituting at the keyboard.

October 2, 1953

---