After the surgery where the Shah’s spleen was removed, the great President of Egypt, Anwar Saadat, gave Dr. De Bakey the highest order of Egypt and two other doctors, one of the Dr. Keane, got the second highest order of Egypt. Of course at that time it was not clear what Dr. De Bakey had done. Dr. Keane had been so moved by this act of President Saadat, that he went to the Shah and told him: “When the history of the twenty century is written, two men will be there; Winston Churchill and Anwar Saadat.”
The Shah said: “You are a great doctor, but unfortunately not a good historian. Don’t forget that Winston Churchill had jailed Anwar Saadat for 3 years.”

Lets return back to the time before the surgery where the Shah’s spleen was removed.

Dr. Benjamin Keane has in an interview with Theresa Dalby said: “Before the surgery, we had a conference with the Egyptian doctors about how to work. Suddenly Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi came in and wanted to know what the spleen is? Where it is? How the surgery will be and so on. Everybody tried to make him leave, even Her Imperial Majesty the Shahbanoo, but he staid. After the surgery, the spleen was taken to the “Moadi hospital” in Cairo and my work with the Egyptian doctors started. The Crown prince was here too, this time with his camera and he took more than 100 pictures of the spleen. I let him take the photos on one condition, and that was to give some of those photos to me so that I could use them in my medical report. I never saw those pictures, because a picture was never taken. The crown prince said it was because the film role was too old. The spleen and a cutting of the liver, which was taken out during the surgery, were examined. The liver was white and spotted. I understood that the Shah of Iran would soon past away.”

Again different views between the doctors started a debate. This time the debate was about the treatment of the Shah and the doctors who were arguing with each other, was no one else except Dr. De Bakey and Dr. Benjamin Keane.

De Bakey meant that the fact that the bone marrow was normal, was a sign of that the Shah was in a good health. In an interview with the American medical journal from April 25th 1980, he said: “It’s difficult to say the future, but since the bone marrow is healthy, it is a sign that the health of the patient is on a good way. The Shah may now start his chemotherapy again.”

In another interview from April 4th 1980 (21 days before the interview you just read and after the operation where the Shah’s spleen was removed) with the magazine that belonged to the American doctors society, De Bakey said: “The Shah is recovering in a very beautiful way. He can very well be healed any time. His white blood cells are back to normal numbers and he can now start the chemotherapy.”

Dr. Michael Keane believed something else. He was not at all as optimistic as De Bakey was and didn’t believe the fact that the bone marrow was normal, which meant that the Shah would be good again.
Dr. Keane believed that since the liver was so white and so damaged, there was no hope at all for the Shah to survive. He was also strongly against chemotherapy, because he knew that the Shah would not get healthy again and that the chemotherapy would only make the pain of the Shah worse. Therefore, he had a private meeting with the Shahbanoo and the twin sister of the Shah, HRH. Ashraf Pahlavi, telling them that chemotherapy would be a great mistake and that they should let the Shah die in peace without any more pain.

There were a lot of discussions between the members of the Pahlavi dynasty, but at the end they decided to follow De Bakey’s advice to start the chemotherapy.

The doctors could not do more and on March 31st 1980, Dr. Keane decided to go back to USA. In an interview, Dr. Keane said: “Monday on March 31st my time for goodbye had come. Dr. George Flandern had now the responsibility of the Shah and we could do no more. The surgery was done and I had been involved with this case for more than 6 months. Before I left Cairo and Egypt, I had a meeting with the Shahbanoo and HRH. Ashraf Pahlavi and told them the truth. After that I visited the Shah to take farewell with him, I sat beside his bed and said; your majesty, I am leaving Cairo. I am not worried about you any more. I trust in Dr. Flandern and the Egyptian doctors.

The Shah looked at me like he knew everything and that I was not telling him the truth. Then he said; "I understand."

I didn’t wanted to give this great man the bad news. I said; "From now on you can eat and drink well and it will be no late before I once again will see pictures of you playing tennis."The Shah of Iran said; "I am very grateful for everything that you have done. When will we see each other again?"
I answered; As a doctor, whenever it is necessary. Very warmly we shook hands and while I was choked with tears I left the room. My work with the Shah was done, for always. And I sincerely knew that I would never meet this great man again.”