RENÉ FAVALORO: BIOGRAPHY, CONTRIBUTIONS, DISCOVERIES, WORKS - BIOGRAPHIES - 2025

René Favaloro (July 14, 1923 - July 29, 2000) was an Argentine heart surgeon, recognized for being the first to perform coronary bypass surgery, also called "myocardial revascularization surgery." It was the fundamental work of his life and it marked a great historical milestone in cardiovascular medicine, providing a solution to the issue of coronary disease.

Favaloro has long studied the relationship between the coronary arteries and the heart. It was in 1967 when he had the opportunity to carry out one of his initiatives, which consisted of making use of the saphenous vein in coronary surgery. During the month of May of that same year, he performed the surgery that would lead to history on his patient.

Photograph by René Favaloro

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In a woman with a blocked aorta, he cut a section of the saphenous vein in her leg and replaced it with the blocked part of the aorta. After the procedure, he managed to get the woman to regain blood flow to her heart.

At present, the surgical procedure of this Argentine doctor has become one of the most widespread in the world. A year after its discovery, in 1968, he made his first written publication on the subject. Despite its great find, Favaloro did not give great importance to its multiple world recognitions. Through a conference, he declared that his sense of "we" was more relevant than the figure of "I".

With the idea of ​​establishing in Argentina, his native country, a specialized center such as the Cleveland Clinic, in which he spent a long time of his life, he created the Favaloro Foundation in 1975, dedicated to continuing the development of cardiology. Five years later, he opened the Basic Research Laboratory in 1980, which would later become the Favaloro University.

Beyond his medical contributions, he also became interested in social issues. He made various complaints about aspects such as inequality, pollution, violence, drugs, weapons and other controversial issues.

He was recognized for his broad social interest, which led him to attend to all kinds of patients without taking into account any economic condition. He believed that medicine should be accessible to all people and not be, instead, a privilege for minorities.

Biography

Early years

Favaloro was born in La Plata, Argentina in 1923. His father was a carpenter and his mother a dressmaker. He lived a large part of his life in the El Mondongo neighborhood, which was located near the Polyclinic Hospital in the area. At the age of four he was already expressing his encouragement to be a doctor.

He used to spend seasons with his medical uncle, which represented his first approach to the health sciences. He had a close experience with office work and home visits.

He lived in a low-income environment and his first studies were at a school within his own community. He learned carpentry from his father and an appreciation for nature was instilled in him by his grandmother.

Formative stage

In 1936 he began studies at the National College of La Plata, to later pursue higher studies at the Faculty of Medical Sciences within the National University of La Plata.

During the third academic year, he began to be a resident doctor at the San Martín Polyclinic Hospital where he began his first encounters with patients. There he met one of his leading professors in his cardiovascular work, Federico EB Christmann, a prominent Argentine surgeon.

Work stage

His time at the residence hall was of great growth, since it was one of the places where the most complex cases from Buenos Aires often arrived. Later, he accepted a temporary position as a rural doctor in the town of Jacinto Aráuz, to which he ended up dedicating 12 years of his life.

He impersonated the resident doctor, Dardo Rachou Vega, after his death, and brought with him his brother, Juan José Favaloro, who was also a doctor. Together they created a health center that greatly favored the level of the area.

Cardiovascular interventions caught the attention of Favaloro, who decided to specialize in the United States and close his period as a rural doctor. Thus it was that despite his little command of English, he spent a full decade at the Cleveland Clinic where he deepened his knowledge and specialized in cardiovascular surgery. Later he made his discovery, giving rise to coronary bypass.

Last years

Favaloro's death was an unexpected and shocking event. In July 2000, René Favaloro committed suicide at the age of 77 by shooting himself in his chest. The period of economic crisis in Argentina originated a large debt to the Favaloro Foundation.

The economic model of the management that Favaloro managed within his institution did not support the requirements of an Argentine market in decline. Days before his death, he had expressed to one of his collaborators that he was seriously concerned about having to lay off 1,400 employees.

Renowned for his great sense of humanity, René Favaloro opened the doors to a large number of patients without making any reservations about specific financial conditions, even when bypass was an expensive surgery. On multiple occasions, he requested government assistance, but did not receive any official response.

Contributions

The Favaloro Foundation

In 1975, after returning from the United States, he decided to create the Favaloro Foundation for health care, education and research purposes. Approximately more than 400 residents received training, coming from different parts of Argentina and Latin America.

On the other hand, a variety of seminars and courses for patients were also implemented. Today one of them called "Cardiology for the consultant" is still being performed.

The creation of the Favaloro Foundation was born from the idea of ​​building a center that would allow the region to have a health center with conditions similar to those that Favaloro experienced during his stay at the Cleveland Clinic.

Favaloro University

The creation of the Basic Research Laboratory, led by Favaloro in 1980, gave way to what in 1998 would become the Favaloro University. Today, this academic institution has a Faculty of Medical Sciences, in which the Medicine career is taught, open since 1993.

On the other hand, the career of kinesiology and physiatry has been offered since 2000. Among other areas there are also branches of engineering related to the exact sciences and natural sciences.

Bypass or myocardial revascularization surgery

It was in the United States where Favaloro obtained the greatest access to the information he sought. The main topic of interest, for a long time, was that of the coronary arteries and their type of relationship with the heart.

In this way, he found the alternative of using the saphenous vein for coronary surgery and, on May 9, 1967, he performed the first bypass in a patient whose aorta vein was obstructed.

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH) Coronary Bypass Chart

Over time, this technique became standardized and became an important practice in the treatment of coronary heart disease. Generally speaking, this operation consists of redirecting blood flow through a new arterial line.

In this way, the blocked channel is replaced and a new route to the heart is created. The new artery usually comes from one of the healthy veins in the legs, chest, or arms.

Coronary bypass is a surgical operation aimed at alleviating the symptom of arterial obstruction, however, it is not the cure for the disease that causes arterial obstruction. Here is an interview with Favaloro:

Published works

During his lifetime, he carried out more than 300 publications of his research within the field of cardiovascular surgery. Among other writings, she also wrote an autobiography dedicated to her learning time at the Cleveland Clinic. Among the most prominent are:

- Surgical treatment of coronary arteriosclerosis - 1970.

- Do you know San Martín? - 1986

- The Memory of Guayaquil -1991

- Memories of a rural doctor - 1992

- From La Pampa to the United States - 1992

- Don Pedro and education - 1994

Recognitions

During his life, Favaloro was recognized internationally with a variety of distinctions. Among them, the following stand out:

- The John Scott Award in 1969, in Philadelphia, United States. Recognition given to people whose inventions make a significant contribution to the comfort, well-being and happiness of humanity.

-The creation in his name of the Dr René G Favaloro Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery at the University of Tel Aviv, in Israel, since 1980.

-Master Award of Argentine Medicine in 1986. Since 1977, the award is given to all prominent members of the world of medicine for their ethical and scientific merits.

-In Madrid he received the distinction of the Conchita Rábago de Giménez Díaz Foundation in 1982.

-Distinguished Alumnus Award at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1987.

-The Gairdner Foundation International award, in Toronto, Canada, during the year 1987. It is awarded by the Gairdner Foundation for exceptional medical contributions.

-The 1992 Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology.

-Golden Plate Award in 1993. Awarded by the American Academy of Achievement. It was created in 1961 to honor individuals whose accomplishments have been exceptional to the world of science and other professions such as literature, the arts, and sports.

-In 1999 he was awarded the Prince Mahidol Prize, by the King of Thailand, in Bangkok. This award is part of a tradition of the Thai royal family and is presented annually for achievements in the field of medicine and public health.

Crisis of the 90s at the Favaloro Foundation

The Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery

At the beginning of the 90s, a brief period of prosperity generated in Argentina, after a great series of privatizations, the possibility of creating social assistance centers with a large specialized team appeared. The situation was conducive to receiving multiple government support from municipalities, payment systems, public health officials and others.

This is how in 1992 the Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery was founded as part of the Favaloro Foundation. Since then, an estimated 2,500 surgeries have been performed per year. Monthly billings were between 4.5 and 5.5 million dollars. The aid was given to various institutions and a large number of people.

The Favaloro institution represented a work and training center for more than 1,100 workers, among whom were doctors. The operations also included heart, liver and lung transplants.

The time of decline

For the year 1996, the economic conditions in Argentina changed and the subsidies and exemptions were withdrawn for the Foundation and a great accumulation of debts was generated that came from the social works.

After Favaloro's death, it was revealed that the Foundation's debt exceeded 50 million dollars. Part of these came from the construction of the Institute of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery on Belgrano Street. Among the creditors of this structure were the National Development Bank and the Siemens company in terms of cardiovascular equipment.

Between 15 and 18 million dollars were due to the foundation by the Comprehensive Medical Assistance Program (PAMI), the Ministry of Health, the Metallurgical Workers Union (UOM), the Social Work of the Province of Buenos Aires (IOMA) and more. Much of the areas served by the Favaloro Foundation were frozen. The situation made it impossible to pay employees and suppliers.

The widespread crisis in Argentina was a severe blow to the health sector in general. Multiple social works were intervened due to the great debt that was presented in various institutions and organizations. This period was a trigger for Favaloro's decision to end his life.

The Favaloro Foundation managed to recover and today it continues to function, although not in the same way that Favaloro would have dreamed of. Her niece, Dr. Liliana Favaloro is the current president of the Foundation.

References

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3. Coronary bypass surgery. Mayo Clinic. Recovered from mayoclinic.org
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6. Golden Plate Awardees. Recovered from achievement.org
7. BBC News World (2019). René Favaloro, the doctor from Argentina who performed the first heart "bypass" in the world. Recovered from bbc.com
8. Master of Argentine Medicine. Salvador's university. Recovered from news.usal.edu.ar
9. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
10. Prince Mahidol Award. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org
11. Canada Gairdner International Award. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from en.wikipedia.org