Thomas J. Fogarty, a renowned vascular surgeon and engineer who invented the balloon catheter and numerous other innovations, passed away at 91 in California in December.
The balloon catheter, also known as the Fogarty catheter, is now an essential tool in contemporary surgery and interventional cardiology, significantly transforming both fields as its popularity has grown.
Dr Fogarty developed the balloon catheter in the early 1960s, even before completing his medical degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio.
While working as a scrub technician at Good Samaritan Hospital, he witnessed many patients succumb to blood clots and complications during procedures that involved large artery incisions and clot removal with forceps. Nearly 50% of these patients either died or lost limbs.
Seeking a better solution, Dr Fogarty experimented with a urethral catheter and balloon, which could be inserted through a small incision into an artery. By navigating the clot with the catheter, inflating the balloon with saline, and withdrawing it, blood clots could be removed more safely.
His mentors and colleagues adopted and promoted the device, leading to its widespread use.
Fogarty patented the invention in 1969, and it remains the most commonly used catheter for clot removal worldwide, saving countless lives.
Beyond the balloon catheter, Dr Fogarty also developed the Stent-Graft, significantly improving outcomes for patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms by reinforcing the weakened vessel with an implant rather than removing part of the artery.
He also developed Fogarty surgical clips and clamps for vessel occlusion during surgery and co-created the Hancock tissue heart valve – the first tissue-based heart valve.
A Fellow of the American College of Surgeons since 1973, Dr Fogarty served as a professor of cardiovascular surgery at Stanford University for 14 years before founding Fogarty Innovation, a non-profit educational organisation on the El Camino Hospital campus in Mountain View, California.
The organisation focuses on advancing medical innovation, education, and the translation of new technologies into clinical practice.
He received numerous prestigious awards, including the Presidential National Medal of Technology and Innovation and the ACS Jacobson Innovation Award in 2001.
Celebrated for his numerous contributions to vascular surgery and the development of minimally invasive techniques, including angioplasty, Dr Fogarty is regarded as a pioneer and a giant in the field, influencing the practices of countless modern practitioners.
