In the early 1960s, cardiac surgery was founded in Debrecen in the department of thoracic surgery, on Professor József Schnitzler's initiative with the cooperation of the head surgeon Arpád Eisert from Nyíregyháza. During the first 5 years, between 1963-1968, 44 closed cardiac surgical procedures were performed (closure of patent ductus arteriosus, pulmonal and mitral stenosis, pericardectomy). The first open heart surgery was performed by Gábor Kovács visiting professor from Szeged in 1968, after the Pemco heart-lung machine, a donation by Béla Köteles and the Presbyterian Church in Cleveland had arrived. The cardiac surgical activity was led by Professor András Gömöry (1972-1983). During the first 20 years 310 open, 220 closed cardiac surgical, and 612 pacemaker operations were performed. After Professor Schnitzler's retirement in 1983, Arpád Péterffy was appointed the head of the entire department (general and cardio-thoracic surgery). In the last 25 years, 18,000 open, 1500 closed and 8500 pacemaker procedures altogether 32,000 were performed. In 2008 associate professor Tamás Szerafin became the head of the department of cardiac surgery.