René Gerónimo Favaloro (July 12, 1923 – July 29, 2000) was an Argentine cardiac surgeon and educator best known for his pioneering work on coronary artery bypass surgery using the great saphenous vein.

Early life

René Gerónimo Favaloro was born on July 12, 1923, and raised in La Plata. and his grandparents were Sicilians from the island of Salina. The surname Favaloro is derived from the Sicilian word , referring to one who grows or sells beans; the term can also be used to denote a scrounger.

In 1936, Favaloro was admitted into the Colegio Nacional de La Plata. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to the School of Medicine at the National University of La Plata. During his third year, he began his medical residency at the Hospital Policlínico San Martín, a medical center that received the most complicated cases from much of Buenos Aires province. This residency brought him into contact with patients for the first time. He attended procedures carried out by professors José María Mainetti and Federico E. B. Christmann, from whom he learned the simplicity and standardization that he would later apply to cardiovascular surgery, one of his many great contributions to cardiovascular operating techniques. Favaloro graduated with a medical degree in 1949.

He then applied for a position as a medical auxiliary, but the offer required him to enroll in the Peronist Party, which he did not accept. He moved instead to a small town named Jacinto Aráuz in La Pampa Province after being offered a job as the town's doctor; when the resident doctor died, he succeeded him and brought his brother Juan José into the clinic. He married María Antonia Delgado in 1951. On July 29, 2000, at age 77, Favaloro fatally shot himself in the chest.

Following his suicide, it was revealed that he had written a letter to Argentine President Fernando de la Rúa, that had never been read, in which he expressed being tired of "being a beggar in his own country," and asked for de la Rúa's help to raise money for the Foundation.

Although his suicide is often linked to the Foundation's financial difficulties, the letter clearly shows Favaloro felt overwhelmed by the corruption of the health system and that he could not fight against it. In the letter, he refers to himself as "Don Quixote" in his lonely battle against the giants. Aggravating this situation was that Favaloro had never recovered from the death of his wife in 1998.

Recognition and distinctions

In a tribute written shortly after Favaloro's death, fellow heart surgeon Denton Cooley wrote: "Although he was always hesitant to carry the moniker of 'father' of coronary artery bypass surgery, he is the surgeon we should credit with introducing coronary bypass surgery into the clinical arena." Favaloro was an active member of 26 societies, corresponding of 4, and honorary of 43. He received innumerable international distinctions. The ones that stand out are: John Scott Prize 1979, granted by Philadelphia; the creation of the Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery "Dr René G. Favaloro" (Tel Aviv University, Israel, 1980); the distinction of the Fundación Conchita Rábago de Giménez Díaz (Madrid, Spain, 1982); the Teacher Prize of Argentinian Medicine (1986); the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation (1987); The Gairdner Foundation International Award, granted by the Gairdner Foundation (Toronto, Canada, 1987); the René Leriche Prize 1989, granted by the International Surgery Society; the Gifted Teacher Award, granted by the American College of Cardiology (1992); the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement (1993); the Diamond Konex Award as the most important scientist in the last decade in his country (Argentina, 1993); and the Prince Mahidol Award, granted by His Majesty the King of Thailand (Bangkok, Thailand, 1999).

In 2007, he was named the second-greatest Argentine of all time, on the TV show El Gen Argentino.

On July 12, 2019, Google showed a Doodle celebrating what would have been his 96th birthday.

Favaloro on television

Favaloro participated in educational programming for the public, distinguishing himself in the television series The Great Medical Themes, and in numerous conferences in Argentina and throughout the world on topics such as medicine, education, and modern society. He was also mentioned in the documentary movie Forks Over Knives.

Works

René Favaloro published more than three hundred works in his specialty. Owing to his passion for history, he also wrote two books about General José de San Martín.

  • Surgical Treatment of Coronary Arteriosclerosis (1970)
  • Recuerdos de un médico rural ("Memories of a rural doctor", 1980)
  • ¿Conoce usted a San Martín? ("Do you know San Martín?", 1986)
  • La Memoria de Guayaquil ("The memory of Guayaquil" 1991)
  • De La Pampa a los Estados Unidos ("From La Pampa to the United States", 1993)
  • Don Pedro y la Educación ("Don Pedro and education", 1994)

References

  • Cardiac Surgery in the Adult: Myocardial Revascularization with Cardiopulmonary Bypass – The history section details Favaloro's role in the development of CABG.
  • Favaloro Foundation (Spanish) – Spanish-language page about the investigation of the Fundación Favaloro, with a gallery of images, quotes, and an essay on Favaloro's legacy.
  • Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Thirty Years Later. Some Social Implications.
  • Favaloro Foundation
  • 50th Anniversary Historical Article: Surgical treatment of acute myocardial infarction. René G. Favaloro. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2000 Apr;35(5 Suppl B):18B-24B. doi: 10.1016/S0735-1097(00)80044-3. Originally published in American Journal of Cardiology, November 1971.