Terence English facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir
Terence English
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English in August 2017
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| Born |
Terence Alexander Hawthorne English
October 1932 (age 92) |
| Nationality | British |
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| Medical career | |
| Profession | Cardiothoracic surgeon |
| Field | Cardiothoracic surgery |
| Institutions | Papworth Hospital, Cambridge |
| Research | Cardiac transplantation |
| Awards |
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Sir Terence English (born October 1932) is a famous retired heart surgeon from Great Britain. He is best known for leading the team that performed the first successful heart transplant in the United Kingdom. This major event happened in August 1979 at Papworth Hospital.
He started his career as a mining engineer but was inspired to switch to medicine. After becoming a doctor, he became a top cardiothoracic surgeon, which is a doctor who operates on the heart and lungs. His work at Papworth Hospital made it one of the best places in Europe for heart and lung transplants.
For his amazing work, he was knighted by the Queen in 1991, which is why he is called "Sir" Terence English.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Terence English was born in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. His father died when he was only two years old, leaving his mother to raise him and his older sister, Elizabeth.
From Mining to Medicine
After finishing school, English first worked as a diamond driller. He then went to Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg and earned a degree in mining engineering in 1954. He even worked in mining exploration in Canada.
However, English was inspired by his uncle, who was a surgeon, to become a doctor. When he unexpectedly received some money from a family trust, he decided to use it to study medicine in London. He was accepted into Guy's Medical School and began his journey to becoming a surgeon.
While at medical school, he was also the captain of the hospital's rugby team, which won a major cup in 1961.
A Career in Heart Surgery
After medical school, English trained to become a surgeon. He was fascinated by the new open-heart surgery techniques being developed in the 1960s. He trained with some of the best surgeons of the time, including Donald Ross and Lord Brock.
In 1972, he became a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Papworth and Addenbrooke's Hospitals in Cambridge.
Starting the UK's Heart Transplant Program
In the early 1970s, heart transplants were very risky. After the first one was done by Christiaan Barnard in 1967, many other attempts around the world failed. Because of this, the UK government put a stop to heart transplants in 1973 until the science improved.
But English was determined. He visited his friend at Stanford University in California, where doctors had developed a new way to check if a patient's body was rejecting the new heart. This technique, called a biopsy, allowed doctors to spot problems early and treat them.
Inspired by this, English decided it was time for the UK to have its own heart transplant program. He began researching the best ways to keep a donor heart healthy while it was being moved from the donor to the recipient. By 1977, he felt ready.
The First Successful Transplant
At first, the government did not provide money for his program. But English got permission to perform two transplants at Papworth Hospital. The first one, in January 1979, was not successful.
However, the second transplant, in August 1979, was a success. The patient, Keith Castle, lived for more than five years with his new heart. This proved that heart transplants could work in the UK. After this success, English continued to develop the program at Papworth, which soon became a world-leading center for heart transplants.
Several things made this success possible:
- New rules allowed doctors to use hearts from donors who were declared brain-dead.
- Better ways to preserve donor hearts meant they could be transported over long distances.
- A new drug called cyclosporin was much better at stopping the body from rejecting the new organ.
The First Artificial Heart in the UK
In 1986, English also performed the first total artificial heart transplant in the UK. He used a mechanical heart, called a Jarvic 7, to keep a patient alive until a human donor heart became available. The patient lived for almost two more years after receiving the human heart.
Leadership Roles in Medicine
Besides being a surgeon, Sir Terence English held many important leadership positions.
- President of the Royal College of Surgeons (1989–1992): The Royal College of Surgeons is a professional group that sets standards for surgery in England. As president, he helped improve training for young surgeons.
- President of the British Medical Association (1995–1996): The British Medical Association (BMA) represents doctors in the UK. During his time as president, he supported giving nurses more responsibilities.
- Master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge (1993–2000): He was the head of St Catharine's College, one of the colleges at the University of Cambridge.
Honours and Personal Life
Sir Terence English has received many awards for his work, including Lifetime Achievement Awards from major surgical societies. He also holds honorary degrees from universities around the world.
He married Ann Dicey in 1963, and they had four children. They later divorced, and he married Judith Milne in 2002.
Retirement and Later Work
Even after retiring, English has remained active. He has helped train doctors in places like Pakistan and Gaza. He has also supported "Dignity in Dying," an organization that believes people with terminal illnesses should have the right to choose when they die.
Books
- "Follow Your Star" From Mining to Heart Transplants – A Surgeon's Story (2011)
- Principles of Cardiac Diagnosis and Treatment – A Surgeon's Guide (1992)
Images for kids
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English in 1997
