Noble Sproat Heaney

Noble Sproat Heaney was an American gynecologist. Born to a family of farmers outside Mendon, Illinois, Heaney took up medicine and studied in Illinois and in Europe. He practiced at Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, leading its gynecology department from 1919 until 1946, and taught at Rush Medical College. Heaney relocated to Los Angeles, California, in 1946, where he practiced at the Presbyterian and Hollywood Hospitals until his retirement in 1951. Heaney was a prominent proponent of vaginal approaches to hysterectomies. He developed several tools and techniques used in vaginal surgery, including the Heaney needle holder and the Heaney stitch.