ARTICLE SUMMARY:
A remembrance of legendary physician, inventor, and medical device entrepreneur Thomas J. Fogarty, MD.
The hardest part about writing a commemorative article about legendary physician/inventor/medical device entrepreneur Thomas J. Fogarty, MD, who died on December 28, 2025 at age 91, is being haunted by knowing that, in my mind’s eye, he is gruffly chastising me about why we are taking the time and space to memorialize him, rather than writing about something he would deem more important, like a new technology to help physicians and patients. In addition to devices such as the groundbreaking Fogarty embolectomy balloon catheter, his innovations produced companies such as AneuRx (acquired by Medtronic), Biopsys Medical (acquired by Johnson & Johnson), CardioThoracic Systems (acquired by Guidant), Novare Surgical Systems and General Surgical Instruments, among others.
