By Amin H. Karim MD
Andreas Roland Gruntzig used to say “ other cardiologists wear a surgical cap for sterility, I wear mine for style” ( Spencer King)
In the late 1960s, Gruentzig learned of the angioplasty procedure developed by Charles Dotter, an American, at a lecture in Frankfurt, Germany
Gruntzig did the first balloon angioplasty in 1977 in Zurich on a LAD focal lesion using a balloon devised in his kitchen.
Gruentzig presented the results of his first four angioplasty cases at the 1977 Amrican Heart Association (AHA) meeting, which led to widespread acknowledgement of his pioneering work.
10 years later Cath at Emory in the patient showed a patent LAD. Gruntzig passed away October 27 1985 in a plane crash in Georgia with his wife. ( October 27 1958 Ayub Khan took over Pakistan!). “ Gruntzig stated: “No matter what happens to the technique, I have made one contribution, and that is allowing physicians to work within the coronary arteries of the awake, alert patient.”
Gruentzig’s success remains a major breakthrough and great contribution to the field of medicine in demonstrating that doctors could work inside of the arteries safely, without the need for open surgery. By utilizing the arterial circulation as a “therapeutic highway”, many types of devices and drugs can now be delivered directly to the heart, kidneys, carotid arteries, brain, legs and aorta without the need for major surgery and general anesthesia.
Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andreas_Gruentzig
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