René Favaloro

René G. Favaloro was born in La Plata on July 12, 1923, and died in Buenos Aires on July 29, 2000, at the age of 77. He graduated as a doctor from the National University of La Plata in 1949. He lived in the United States for ten years where he developed the fundamental work of his career: direct myocardial revascularization surgery (bypass). He received national and international distinctions, including seven awards from the National Academy of Medicine and the 1979 John Scott Award, given by the city of Philadelphia, USA. In 1980, the University of Tel Aviv, Israel, created the Chair of Cardiovascular Surgery named after him. He was deserving of other awards, including: the one from the Conchita Rábago de Jiménez Díaz Foundation (Madrid, 1982); the Master of Argentine Medicine Award (1986); the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Award (1987); The Gairdner Foundation International Award (Toronto, 1987); the René Leriche Award from the International Society of Surgery (1989); the Gifted Teacher Award from the American College of Cardiology (1992); the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement (1993); and the Prince Mahidol Award, granted by His Majesty the King of Thailand (1999). He published Surgical Treatment on Coronary Arteriosclerosis (1970), Memories of a Rural Doctor (1980, now being reissued), Do You Know San Martín? (1987), The Memory of Guayaquil (1991), From La Pampa to the United States (1992), and Don Pedro and Education (1994), as well as more than three hundred papers in his specialty. His participation in various commissions demonstrated his social commitment to his homeland. In 1983 he joined the Council for the Consolidation of Democracy, and in 1990 the Commission for the Ethical Recovery of Society and the State. He was a member of the National Program for the Democratization of Culture in 1996, and that same year, co-chairman of the Argentine Council against Racism and Ethnic and Religious Discrimination.

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