MOST readers are probably unaware that the Cotswolds once played an internationally-leading role in the development of heart surgery – something we are lucky enough to take for granted today.

A new novel by Tom Treasure, The Heart Club, released tomorrow, brings to light new evidence about the significance of pioneering surgery carried out at Stowell Park near Northleach in the months following the D-Day landings of June 1944.   

In preparation for the many casualties expected, the United States army decided to set up a hospital on English soil, designated to deal with the most lethal wounds inflicted in warfare; injuries to the head and chest.

At just 34 years old, Dwight Harken was brought in from Boston, Massachusetts, to be the hospital’s chief surgeon. Captain Harken had earned the respect of the British surgical establishment after training at the Brompton Hospital in London in 1939. The support of his mentors, such as Russell Brock, who was a central figure among British chest surgeons, helped him secure the position.

A few months later, the medical establishment found themselves in awe of Harken’s achievement of 100 percent survival after operations on 134 injured soldiers.

“Prior to Harken’s success, medical text books were quite clear – surgery on the heart was too dangerous and should not be attempted,” Tom Treasure explained.

“Harken went against the conservative beliefs of his American chiefs. 

“He was brave and lucky. If instead of success he was met with disaster, it would have been a very different story for heart surgery and for Dr Harken.”

Although there had been sporadic attempts at operating on the heart, Harken’s was the first consecutive series of operations where surgery on the heart was planned, and recovery to full health was consistently achieved.

Thus, surgery at Stowell Park was a turning point in the history of cardiac surgery.

As a cardiothoracic surgeon and author who spent some of his childhood years in Cheltenham, the story is particularly close to Tom Treasure’s heart.

The novel has been a long time coming, with Tom citing Harken in academic papers about heart surgery as early as 1995. But it would be many years before he found the right evidence to realise just how significant Harken’s work was.

Part of our ignorance about these significant scientific advancements made in the Cotswolds, is a legacy of their historical context.  

Tom explained: “Searching the archives of the Wilts and Glos Standard, I could find no mention of any hospital, but then the penny dropped!

“This was all hush-hush. Only later did it appear in the paper.”

But remembering these achievements today provides yet one more reason to be proud of the remarkable area in which we live.  

The Heart Club: A History of London’s Heart Surgery Pioneers by Tom Treasure, published by Clink Street Publishing, will be in bookstores and available to purchase from online retailers including Amazon from September 21.