A Heart-to-Heart with a Pioneer in Cardiac Surgery

Exploring the prolific work of Dr. Tirone David— a down-to-earth, solution-driven cardiac surgeon

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Ask Dr. Tirone David about his achievements and you're bound to get a humble response. He doesn't boast about being the first surgeon to be inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame, receiving the Order of Canada (the country's highest civilian honour) or collecting countless accolades over four decades. At 80, the affable world-renowned cardiac surgeon talks about his lifelong dedication to the cause: trying to conquer a disease that never dies.

ENDLESS PERSISTENCE

Dr. David has been dubbed one of the biggest influences in cardio- vascular surgery, pioneering 16 groundbreaking procedures, performing more than 15,000 open-heart surgeries—with a nearly 100 per cent success rate—and publishing more than 450 scientific papers. Still, he's the first to admit he's not perfect, and that's what keeps him going. “I have a sense of self-criticism. My driving force is an immense desire to do better today than I did yesterday,” he says. “I aim for perfection, but I'm human. My patients do very well, and that's something I want people to remember.”

Still operating twice weekly at University Health Network's (UHN) Peter Munk Cardiac Centre in Toronto, the premier cardiac centre in the country, Dr. David has played a key role in the cardiac and vascular health care innovation the hospital is known for. “I'm not a genius,” he says with a laugh, “but I'm curious and have had spectacular mentors who have taught me to learn as much as I can. This has inspired and encouraged me to continue to discover new ways to help patients.”