SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — Russell M. Nelson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a former heart surgeon, passed away this week. Dr. Craig Selzman spoke with ABC4 about Nelson's contributions and time in the medical field.

While President Russell M. Nelson is widely known for being the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, he also worked as a heart surgeon for several decades and is known as a pioneer in that field.

In 1955, Nelson performed the first open heart surgery in the state, making Utah the third state in the entire country to perform the procedure.

Dr. Craig Selzman, the Professor and Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery at University of Utah Health, collaborated with Russell M. Nelson in 2015, during a special celebration for the

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