Alexis carrel: The good, the bad, the ugly

Abstract

Background: It is precisely 100 years since the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the French surgeon Alexis Carrel, the second and to date one of only five surgeons to have received this most prestigious award. In spite of his outstanding contributions to the fields of cardiovascular and transplant surgery, the anniversary of his Nobel Prize award is likely to pass unnoticed and unacknowledged because of his outspoken and well-publicized beliefs and philosophies. Method: A review was carried out of the very many biographical papers of Carrel's work and publications. Results: Carrel's work did indeed form the basis of modern cardio-vascular and transplant surgery. Conclusion: In spite of deserving the Nobel prize for his scientific work, Carrel's views on eugenics were so abhorrent that he is unlikely to ever receive the accolades he deserves. © 2012 The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.