Denton Cooley

I think confidence is something you build gradually, with experience. I've always felt that maybe one of the reasons that I did…

— Denton Cooley

Of the many 'firsts' with which I have been involved at the Texas Heart Institute —including the first successful human heart transplant…

— Denton Cooley

Get a scalpel, and practice just, say, cutting a piece of meat or something like that. You sort of learn how you…

— Denton Cooley

I think work is a privilege. ... It keeps you alive, spiritually.

— Denton Cooley

I've always thought that my exposure to competitive sports helped me a great deal in the operating room. It teaches you endurance,…

— Denton Cooley

The spirit of Texas seems to pervade our everyday existence. Our desire is to be superlative, not only the largest, but also…

— Denton Cooley

The man who inspired me most, I think, was Dr. Alfred Blalock, who was professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins. He was…

— Denton Cooley

I've always felt that maybe one of the reasons that I did well as a student and made such good grades was…

— Denton Cooley

[The heart is] really a fascinating organ. It's about the only organ in the body that you can really witness its function.…

— Denton Cooley

So much goes into doing a transplant operation. All the way from preparing the patient, to procuring the donor. It's like being…

— Denton Cooley

I find I'm luckier when I work harder.

— Denton Cooley

I've always felt that I did well as a student because I lacked confidence.

— Denton Cooley

I still take failure very seriously, but I've found that the only way I could overcome the feeling is to keep on…

— Denton Cooley

A successful surgeon should be a man who, when asked to name the three best surgeons in the world, would have difficulty…

— Denton Cooley

I've always felt that maybe one of the reasons that I did well as a student and made such good grades was…

— Denton Cooley