description Åke Senning Overview
Åke Senning (1915-2000) was a Swedish cardiac surgeon whose work addressed both abnormal heart rhythms and congenital heart disease. In 1958, working with physician Rune Elmqvist, he implanted the first cardiac pacemaker placed in a human patient, although the initial devices functioned only briefly. He also devised the Senning operation, an atrial switch procedure that redirects blood flow in patients born with transposition of the great arteries.
insights Ranking position
Åke Senning ranks #39 of 342 in the Surgeon ranking, behind Alexis Carrel, ahead of Brian Barratt-Boyes.
help Åke Senning FAQ
Who received Åke Senning's first implanted pacemaker?
The patient was Arne Larsson, a 43-year-old Swedish engineer with severe heart rhythm problems. Senning implanted the device in Stockholm on October 8, 1958.
Did Åke Senning invent the first implantable pacemaker alone?
No. Physician and engineer Rune Elmqvist designed the pulse generator, while cardiac surgeon Åke Senning performed the implantation and helped develop the clinical system.
What was the Senning procedure designed to treat?
The Senning procedure is an atrial switch operation developed for transposition of the great arteries. It redirects blood within the atria so oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood reach the appropriate circulations, although later operations such as the arterial switch became more common.
How long did the first implanted pacemaker last?
The first device reportedly failed after only several hours, and Senning implanted the only available replacement. Larsson survived for more than four decades afterward and received numerous later pacemakers as the technology improved.
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