Main Entry: Bla·lock–Taus·sig operation

Pronunciation: \ˈblā-ˌläk-ˈtau̇-sig-\

Function: noun

: surgical correction of the tetralogy of Fallot—called also blue-baby operation

Blalock, Alfred (1899–1964), and Taussig, Helen B. (1898–1986), American physicians. Blalock and Taussig were on the staff of Johns Hopkins Hospital. Based upon Taussig's theory that the cause of cyanosis in infants was a functional lack of oxygen, Blalock (a surgeon) developed an operation in which the pulmonary artery and a healthy systemic artery were spliced to bypass any constriction or blockage, thereby giving the lungs sufficient blood for oxygenation. The Blalock-Taussig operation was first performed in 1944; it marked the beginning of modern heart surgery.