description Levi Watkins Jr. Overview
Levi Watkins Jr. was an American cardiac surgeon and civil rights advocate associated with Johns Hopkins University. In 1980, he performed the first implantation of an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in a human patient, helping introduce a device designed to detect and correct dangerous heart rhythms. He also worked to expand opportunities for Black students and physicians in academic medicine.
help Levi Watkins Jr. FAQ
What device did Levi Watkins Jr. implant in 1980?
At Johns Hopkins, Watkins performed the first human implantation of an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator. The device was designed to detect a life-threatening abnormal rhythm and deliver a corrective shock.
Who developed the defibrillator implanted by Levi Watkins?
The implantable defibrillator was developed by a team led by cardiologist Michel Mirowski, with important engineering and clinical collaborators. Watkins supplied the cardiac surgical expertise for the first human implantation.
How is an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator different from a pacemaker?
A pacemaker primarily treats rhythms that are too slow by delivering small electrical impulses. An ICD can recognize dangerous fast rhythms such as ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation and deliver stronger therapy, including a shock.
What else is Levi Watkins known for at Johns Hopkins?
Watkins became Johns Hopkins Hospital's first Black chief resident in cardiac surgery. He also worked to expand opportunities for Black students and challenged racial inequality within academic medicine.
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