Surgeon Successfully Operates on Doctor Who Delivered Him

Robert Kincade replaced retired obstetrician's aortic valve
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 5, 2014 1:03 PM CST
Surgeon Successfully Operates on Doctor Who Delivered Him
A surgeon performed a successful operation on the obstetrician who delivered him.   (Shutterstock)

Almost half a century ago, a Sacramento obstetrician named Jim Affleck delivered an infant named Robert. Now that baby has grown into a doctor himself, and he recently performed a successful heart surgery on Affleck, ABC News reports. Dr. Robert Kincade, 45, replaced Affleck's aortic valve, and now the retired obstetrician, 83, "feels like a new person," he says. Affleck didn't remember Kincade, who now works at the hospital where he was born; after all, the obstetrician delivered thousands of babies. "As an obstetrician, your patient is the mother," he notes. "You just hand the baby off to the pediatrician and never see it again."

But Kincade, knowing Affleck had been an obstetrician at the hospital, checked out his birth certificate—which featured Affleck's signature, the Sacramento Bee reports. Kincade also got confirmation from his mom. When Affleck came for a checkup last week, the two were able to discuss their ties. "We've stayed in touch," says Affleck, who's glad the operation went well: "We didn't have to come full circle on this delivery-death thing," he jokes. Kincade's take: "It's great to help [Affleck] out, because he really helped me out 45 years ago." (More Sacramento stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X