Who was the first African-American to successfully perform open-heart surgery?

• A. Daniel Hale Williams
• B. Charles Drew
• C. Ben Carson
• D. James McCune Smith

Answer: (A)

Daniel Hale Williams was the first African-American surgeon known for successfully performing open-heart surgery, which took place in 1893. His pioneering work at Provident Hospital in Chicago, which he founded, demonstrated not only his exceptional skill but also his commitment to providing surgical care in an era when African-Americans faced significant barriers in the medical field. Williams's groundbreaking achievement marked a significant milestone in surgical history and broke racial barriers in medicine, paving the way for future African-American surgeons.

Charles Drew is renowned for his work in blood transfusion and the development of blood banks, while Ben Carson gained fame for his neurosurgical prowess, including separating conjoined twins. James McCune Smith was notable as the first African-American to earn a medical degree in the United States, but his work primarily focused on general medicine and public health rather than open-heart surgery.