The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind?
Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies.
Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Dr. Eric A. Rose & Dr. Gerald Imber on the Future of Heart Medicine
Eric A. Rose, MD is a world leader in cardiac surgery and cardiovascular research who performed the first successful pediatric heart transplant.
Gerald Imber, MD is a plastic surgeon and author whose medical history books include Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Halsted (https://amzn.to/4ozyBnJ) and Cardiac Cowboys: The Heroic Invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/4ozyBnJ).
They join host Jamie Napoli to discuss the challenges facing medical innovators today, and their hopes for the future of heart medicine.
Thoughts or suggestions? You can reach us at c (goog_1387031787)ardiaccowboys@13thlakemedia.com (mailto:ardiaccowboys@13thlakemedia.com).
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
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
The Fates of the Cowboys
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.
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.
For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
A Man-Made Heart
An ingenious medical device promises to eliminate the need for heart donors entirely. But when accusations of a stolen heart emerge, the simmering tension between Michael DeBakey and Denton Cooley boils over, playing out in courtrooms and headlines across the country.
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
Additional Archival Materials Courtesy of: "The Twentieth Century" (CBS 1966); "Nova" (WGBH Boston & PBS 1988 & 1999); Vanderbilt University; American Academy of Achievement; "DeBakey" (Dr. Tony Herring and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children 2016); Society for Vascular Surgery; "Meet the Press" (NBC 1966); Associated Press; "Michael E. DeBakey: Profiles in Science" (National Library of Medicine 2015); BBC; "The Heartmakers" (National Educational Television & Radio Center 1969); and the McGovern Historical Center of the Texas Medical Center Library
Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: EdRecords / Pond5; EpicRecord / Pond5; eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5; Music Bed; Premium Beat; Storyblocks; Artlist; Envato Market; and Podcast Music
This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.
For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
The Transplant Race
Surgeons across the country race to transplant the human heart. The stakes are unimaginably high, rivalries turn vicious, and the first surgeon to cross the finish line shocks the world.
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
Additional Archival Materials Courtesy of: "The Dick Cavett Show" (ABC 1970); "Nova" (WGBH Boston & PBS 1988 & 1999); "The Vision of Perseus: Norman Shumway" (Stanford University Libraries 1993); Vanderbilt University; American Academy of Achievement; US National Archives; John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston; SABC News; BBC Archive; "A Tribute to Professor Barnard" (Netcare 2017); "Barnard: Straight from the Heart" (Electric Sky and Alexander Street 2013); BBC; and the McGovern Historical Center of the Texas Medical Center Library
Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: "Dokter Bernard" by Bonnie St. Claire, adapted from "Sister Mary" by Joe Dolan, written by Peter Koelewijn, Peter Yellowstone and Roberto Danova, label: Phillips; Publishers: Red Bus Music, Dayglow-Tripper, 1976; eitanepsteinmusic / Pond5; Music Bed; Premium Beat; Artlist; APM; and Envato Market
This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.
For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
The Can Opener
A devastating turn of events forces Walt Lillehei to re-think his approach to open heart surgery. In Houston, Denton Cooley’s swift rise plunges him into a battle of egos with his boss and mentor, Michael DeBakey.
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: "Nova" (WGBH Boston & PBS 1988 & 1999); Minnesota Historical Society; Vanderbilt University; and Medtronic
Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: Music Bed; Premium Beat; Storyblocks; Artlist; APM; Envato Market; Incompetech; and Podcast Music
This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.
For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
Ready... Fire... Aim
Two of the country’s most ambitious surgeons join forces to make Houston, Texas the new cardiovascular capital of the world. Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Denton Cooley’s complementary talents make them a surgical dream team. But a friendly rivalry turns them from close colleagues to fierce competitors.
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: 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: "March of Medicine" (NBC 1954); Johns Hopkins Medical Archives; Vanderbilt University; "Something the Lord Made" (HBO 2004); American Academy of Achievement; "DeBakey" (Dr. Tony Herring and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children 2016); and the Society for Vascular Surgery
Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: StockMusicCom / Pond5; Music Bed; Premium Beat; Storyblocks; Artlist; APM; Envato Market; Tribe of Noise; Incompetech; Podcast Music; and Hollywood Edge
This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement.
For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
29 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT
The Starting Gun
America is in the midst of a cardiac health crisis. It’s the height of the Baby Boom, and American children are dying from heart disease in greater numbers than ever before in history. The doctor who sets out to solve this problem may just be the most fascinating man you've never heard of. Racing against his own terminal cancer diagnosis, Dr. Walt Lillehei embarks on an impossible mission: curing congenital heart defects in kids. His proposed solution outrages the medical community, threatens to end his career and risks the lives of both his young patients and their parents. But it opens the door to a new frontier of medicine.
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); "The Twentieth Century" (CBS 1966); "March of Medicine" (NBC 1954); KGU; C-SPAN; "Nova" (WGBH Boston & PBS 1988 & 1999); "The Vision of Perseus: Norman Shumway" (Stanford University Libraries 1993); and the Minnesota Historical Society.
Additional Music & Stock Media Provided by: EdRecords / Pond5; EpicRecord / Pond5; Music Bed; Premium Beat; Storyblocks; Artlist; APM; Envato Market; Tribe of Noise; ccMixter (TuneTrack); Incompetech; and Podcast Music.
This podcast was recorded under a SAG-AFTRA collective bargaining agreement. For more information on the history of open heart surgery, check out Dr. Gerald Imber's book "CARDIAC COWBOYS: The Heroic invention of Heart Surgery (https://amzn.to/488Ved5)."
Copyright 2025, TTB, LLC. All rights reserved.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
18 Sept 2025
Introducing: Cardiac Cowboys
Listen to the series when all episodes drop Mon., Sept 29.
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Inside a recent episode
The Fates of the Cowboys
Published 29 Sept 2025 · Transcript excerpt
[…] Life-threatening conditions, like Tetralogy of Fallot, were now treatable with surgical procedures Lilihi invented. Thanks to Lilihi and Medtronic founder Earl Bakken, the deadly condition of heart block could now be corrected with a portable pacemaker. and Lillehi was just getting warmed up. […]
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