Henry B.C. Low

Henry B.C. Low, Father of Cardiothoracic Surgery, dies at 95. (Bloomfield, CT) Connecticut's premier pioneer in cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Henry B. C. Low, died peacefully at his Bloomfield home on September 15, 2022. While chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Hartford Hospital, Low performed the state's first successful heart transplant in 1984, and the Henry Low Heart Center was established in his honor. Low leaves behind his wife, Wei Zhang Low, who held him in her arms in their home as he peacefully transitioned into eternity. He also is survived by three living children, Terry, David, and Chris, six grandchildren, Jenny, Jamie, Jackson, Katie, Juliette, and Shelby, two great grandchildren, Evelyn and Hudson, and his loyal assistant and beloved friend Angela Pinkerton. He was pre-deceased by his daughter, Jane. Low's first wife, Betty B.C. Yang, passed away more than 20 years ago. A native of China, born on January 29, 1927, Low was the son of Dr. Low Chin Wen and nurse Pai Hsia Lan who met while training in the United States. He and his then-classmate, Betty, attended medical school at St. John's University in Shanghai, an affiliate of the Penn Divinity School. They fled China in 1949 during the Communist Revolution, eventually settling in Bridgeport, CT to begin their internships. They wed in 1951. Low started in the Pathology Department at Hartford Hospital in 1952, but transitioned to general surgery while doing research on artificial blood vessels. He was advised by his surgical mentors to seek additional training in cardiothoracic surgery at Harvard's Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He always vividly recalled the first day of his fellowship, when Dwight Harken performed the world's first aortic valve replacement in 1960. He returned to Hartford Hospital where he began to build his legacy of many cardiothoracic "firsts" in the state, including repair of an ascending aortic aneurysm, the first coronary artery bypass graft in 1968, heart valve repairs and replacements, and introduction of an intra-aortic balloon pump to aid failing hearts. His landmark achievement, however, was the state's first successful heart transplant on November 21, 1984. The patient survived 33 years and fathered two daughters. Low made the national news on Valentine's Day 1986 when his transplant team recruited the Strategic Air Command to fly a donor heart from Oklahoma City to the Harford area at supersonic speed to maintain precious organ viability. He performed the state's first pediatric heart transplant in 1987. He re-established his roots, returning repeatedly to his old medical school in Shanghai to help them establish a heart surgery and heart transplant center. There, he met Wei, his operating room nurse, who later became his wife. He was appointed Chairman of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at UConn Health Center in 1994, and received the prestigious UConn medal in 1996. The Henry Low Heart Center at Hartford Hospital was established in November 2001. His Chief of Surgery and former Dean of UConn Medical School, Peter J. Deckers, MD described him as, "A surgeon of high intelligence, unique professional curiosity and creativity, superb technical skills and unmatched altruism, who was constantly committed to the highest standard of innovative, clinical excellence." Dr. Sabet Hashim, chairman of cardiac surgery and co-physician-in-chief of the Hartford HealthCare Heart & Vascular Institute called him,"a brave man and a passionate surgeon – one who undertook extensive training in a then-new field, built a team and a program to support it, and remained an undaunted and respected physician leader." Henry Low was a passionate patron of the arts in the Greater Hartford area. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in his honor be directed to The Bushnell (https://bushnell.org/support/donate), The Hartford Symphony (https://hartfordsymphony.org/individual-support/donate-now/) or The Henry Low Heart Center Fund (https://giving.hartfordhospital.org/tributegifts). A memorial service and reception will be held October 16, 2022 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM in the Autorino Great Hall at The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave, Hartford, CT.