How a Simple Balloon Changed Vascular Surgery

Thomas Fogarty was a surgeon and an inventor. He invented the balloon catheter, a thin tube with a small balloon on the tip that can remove blood clots. He first built a model in the early 1960s while he was still a medical student.

He later patented the device in 1969 and it made limb-saving surgery much safer. He founded Fogarty Innovation to help new inventors. He died in Portola Valley, California, on December 28, 2025, at age 91. Many doctors use it now. His balloon catheter is used in many operations worldwide and it has helped save many lives.