When I was in my surgery training program in Houston, I learned about the death of Albert Einstein.

What I immediately learned made me admire Albert Einstein even more than ever. Towards the end of his life, Einstein suffered from an aortic aneurysm, a ballooning of the largest blood vessel in the body which has the diameter of a garden hose. If the aneurysm keeps stretching and the ballooning gets bigger, one day it can rupture and that's generally fatal.

In 1948, when Einstein first suffered from his anuerysm, there were no good treatments. He had the standard surgery at the time which consisted of opening the belly and wrapping the aneurysm in cellophane. This was not a permanent cure but in his case, it kept him out of danger for several years.

In 1955, Einstein knew his aneurysm was rupturing a second time and he rejected treatment choosing to die a dignifed death.

Einstein didn't want surgery and said: "I want to go when I want. It is tasteless to prolong life artificially. I have done my share it is time to go. I will do it elegantly."

I began constructing a timeline in my head and then realized Einstein's death was at least partially circumstance of his location.

In the years preceeding his death, advances led by Dr. Michael DeBakey in Houston, TX showed that aortic aneuryms could be repaired by replacing a damaged aorta with a graft. By 1955 DeBakey and his team had performed the surgery on dozens of patients and had published their procedure and results in at least four medical journals.

Facing death, The Chief of Surgery at New York Hospital consulted with Einstein, telling him they had little experience with this surgical technique developed over the past few years.

Perhaps this lack of experience led Einstein to believe there was little hope for him to survive surgery. He would decline surgery and die a few days later.

I'm struck by Einstein's courage in the face of death but also wonder, had he lived in Texas and been offered surgery by Dr. DeBakey who had a good experience with the new surgery, would he have accepted? And would the world have been graced with several more years of life from Albert Einstein?