Peter Allen (December 13, 1921 – November 17, 2014) was a Canadian surgeon who played a leading role in improving cardiac surgery techniques.
(Bill) Trapp and Dr. Ross Robertson, he performed the first Open Heart Surgery in British Columbia on 29 October 1957 at Vancouver General Hospital, by closing an Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) in 9 year old John Evans, using Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB).
In mid 1957 Allen returned to Vancouver and formed a cardiac team with surgeon, Philip Ashmore, anaesthetist William Dodds and paediatrician Morris Young.
He also performed the first Coronary Artery Bypass Graft surgery in Cardiff, Wales In 1977 to 1980 Allen was invited to establish a cardiac surgical certre at the Kasturba General Hospital, Bhopal, India.
From 1972 to 1988 he established the annual Peter Allen Surgical Essay Award, open to senior cardio-thoracic trainees in the United Kingdom.
In 1995 he moved to Oakville, Ontario and joined the Medical Clinic of Dr. Sapra and Dr. Khanna as a consultant in peripheral vascular disease, until retirement in 2006.