Cooley, who also performed the first successful human heart transplant in the United States, founded the Texas Heart Institute and was one of the most celebrated heart surgeons in the world. The Texas native was also known however for a long-running dispute with another world-renowned innovative surgeon in Houston, Dr. Michael DeBakey, over the implant operation. A spokeswoman for Texas Children's Hospital, where Cooley's son-in-law acts as surgeon in chief, said Cooley died in his Houston home on Friday morning, surrounded by his four daughters.
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Pioneering U.S. heart surgeon, Denton Cooley, dies at 96