The Linda Stout Story -- On March 22, 1955, Linda Stout became the first person at Mayo Clinic -- and the second person in the world -- to have open-heart surgery with a heart-lung bypass machine. Her operation opened a new era, establishing Mayo Clinic as a world leader where open-heart surgery could be performed for a vast patient base. Fifty years and about 65,000 cases later, Mayo remains at the forefront of this wide-ranging specialty.

Linda Stout celebrated her sixth birthday several months after undergoing open-heart surgery at Mayo Clinic.

"They were so tall. That's what I remember the most. One had a crew cut. One was very handsome. They shook my hand and talked to me. I think one of them picked me up and held me. They made me feel special."

For a 5-year-old girl from Bismarck, N.D., it was special to be the center of attention in a room full of doctors at a big place like Mayo Clinic. But Linda Stout had no idea how special she was.

All she knew was that she tired quickly and could not keep up with her friends when they played games. As a toddler, she suddenly collapsed. Her parents flew her to Rochester -- a bold decision in the early 1950s.

From that crisis, her family built a solid trust in Mayo Clinic. When the doctors told them a new approach might cure their daughter's problem, they allowed her to be Mayo's first patient on a heart-lung bypass machine.

"We will use a heart-lung machine to support the circulation while the defect in your child's heart is repaired."

The operation was a success. Today, she enjoys an active, independent life.

From this original operation, Mayo Clinic has developed an extensive network of procedures, technology, services and collaborations, which enable us to serve more patients and treat ever-more complex conditions.