Creator of Life-Saving Heimlich Maneuver Dies at 96

Dr. Henry Heimlich, the creator of the life-saving maneuver that prevented thousands of people from choking to death, has passed away last Saturday at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati.

According to the report from National Public Radio, the thoracic surgeon died from complications of the massive heart attack he experienced last December 12. Earlier this year, Heimlich used his very own maneuver to help prevent a fellow resident at Episcopal Retirement Services form choking to death.

In 1974, Heimlich devised an anti-choking technique that so simple it could be performed by anyone even without any deep understanding of medical know-how. First introduced as subdiaphragmatic pressure, Heimlich published his anti-choking ideas in The Journal of Emergency Medicine in an informal article headline "Pop Goes the Café Coronary". However, Heimlich's paper was met with skepticism from his peers. In anticipation with this resistance, Heimlich sent his paper to major newspaper around the country.

Just a few months later, editors from the Journal of the American Medical Association called Heimlich and told him that his anti-choking technique has saved many lives. The medical association decided to change the name of subdiaphragmatic pressure to Heimlich maneuver in honor of the doctor.

New York Times reported that choking on food and foreign objects was the sixth leading cause of accidental death in the United States in the 1970s, killing nearly 4,000 Americans annually. To perform the Heimlich maneuver, the responder will stand behind the choking person and put his thumb inside his fist just above the belly button but the chest. The responder will then grasp his fist with his other arm and press it inward and upward. The abdominal jab will be repeated until the blockage is thrown to the air.

Aside from the highly celebrated Heimlich maneuver, Heimlich also devised numerous medical treatments and apparatus that helped save thousands of lives. Dr. Heimlich is the pioneer of the so-called Heimlich-Gavriliu Reversed Gastric Tube operation in America. Additionally, Heimlich also introduced the Heimlich Chest Drain Valve that was widely used by medics during the Vietnam War.