“A cardiothoracic surgeon is a medical doctor who specializes in surgical procedures of the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the chest. This includes surgeons who can be called cardiac surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, general thoracic surgeons, and congenital heart surgeons.” (ctsurgerypatients.org). It is said that Cardiac surgery is rather ‘young’. The entire history can be traced back in a little over 100 years. In 1896, Ludwig Rehn successfully sutured a stab wound in the left ventricle of the heart, and with that suture many believe that was the beginning of cardiac surgery. In 1902, John H. Gibbon of Philadelphia attempted an operation on the heart of a moribund patient; however, the patient dies before the wound was closed. To finish what was started, his son John H Gibbon Jr. was the first to successfully complete open-heart surgery on a patient with the aid of a heart-lung machine a century later. In 1907, it…show more content… An obvious pro of being a cardiac surgeon is the salary. The median salary is around $448,793 as of January 2018. It can, however, range from $359,760-$562,558 depending on many different factors (salary.com). Another pro of the job is the prestigious status attached to the job. Nearly all surgeons also have medical insurance, with more than half are receiving dental benefits, and almost 50% are also receiving vision care benefits. Another pro of being a cardiothoracic surgeon is the ability to find solutions. When the procedures do not end successfully, the surgeon has the opportunity to improve the operations by coming up with new ideas. The most rewarding pro to some surgeons would be the opportunity to help people. Being a surgeon, one could change the lives of patients. Being a cardiothoracic surgeon, one can literally hold the heart of one of the patients. Patients are also very appreciative of the work and develop relationships with their