Walt Lillehei’s years of living and operating on the edge finally catch up with him. In Houston, rival surgeons attempt to resolve four decades of bad blood.

For more information on the first cardiac surgeons, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery," published by Post Hill Press in 2024.

Presented by: Chris Pine
Written and Narrated by: Jamie Napoli

Executive Producers: Cristina Everett for iHeartPodcasts; Dub Cornett and Jason Ross for OSO Studios; Gerald Imber; Eric A. Rose, M.D.; John Mankiewicz; Joshua Paul Johnson; and Jamie Napoli

Supervising Producer: James A. Smith

Editing and Sound Design by: Joshua Paul Johnson

Composer: David Mansfield Cover Artwork by: Alexander Smith

Production Companies: iHeartPodcasts, OSO Studios, and 13th Lake Media

Production Legal Services: Jacqueline Eckhouse & Mel Pudig, Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo; and Lincoln Bandlow, Lincoln Bandlow Law

Archival Materials Courtesy of: The University of Minnesota Archives, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities; Special Collections, University of Rhode Island Library; and G. Wayne Miller, author of "King of Hearts: The True Story of the Maverick Who Pioneered Open Heart Surgery"

Additional Archival Materials Courtesy of: "The Dick Cavett Show" (ABC 1970); C-SPAN; and Vanderbilt University

Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: Music Bed; Premium Beat; Artlist; Envato Market; ccMixter (TuneTrack); and Incompetech

This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.

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