Children of Laos : Mission for the hearts in Paris, France on October 24th, 2006.

FRANCE - OCTOBER 24: Children of Laos : Mission for the hearts in Paris, France on October 24th, 2006 - Professor Francine Leca performs an open-heart surgery on a teenager to repair an atrioventricular canal (AVC) - During the operation, a retractor keeps the sternum open and cannula link the heart to the extra corporal circulation - She is assisted by two surgeons - Francine Leca is the first woman heart surgeon in France and is the President of Mecenat Chirurgie Cardiaque association which she founded in 1996 - She operates on about 150 children a year voluntarily. (Photo by Anne-Laure CAMILLERI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)