Adrain Kantrowitz: Cardiology Fellowship Graduate

Written by: Sharon Cretsinger

Cardiology has to be one of the most difficult and sought after specialties within the field of medicine.  Individuals who have completed medical school and other prescribed academic and professional requirements may go on to a program such as the cardiovascular disease fellowship Georgetown as an entrance to this specialty.  Some physicians even go on to become very famous after completing a cardiology fellowship.

Pediatric Cardiology

Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz was a physician and surgeon who became very well known for his work in pediatric cardiology.  Perhaps the defining event of his career was performing the first pediatric heart transplant ever, in 1967.  It was the second ever heart transplant in the world.  In addition to having performed this groundbreaking surgery, he also invented a medical device called the intra-aortic balloon pump.  This invention would serve as the basis for the development of the modern pacemaker which is so important to the wellness of so many heart patients today.

Dr. Kantrowitz was born in New York City in 1918 and was interested in medicine from early childhood, perhaps owing to the fact that his father was also a doctor.  He graduated from the Long Island College of Medicine in 1943, successfully completing an accelerated program intended to alleviate the shortage of doctors available to serve in World War II.

During the war, Dr. Kantrowitz was a surgeon in Europe and Japan.  Upon returning to the United States, he pursued surgical training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.  Much of his career throughout the 1950's and 1960's centered around research intended to assist in the design of bioelectronic devices.  He implanted the first artificial pacemaker in a patient in 1961.

Dr. Kantrowitz was instrumental in pioneering heart transplants for surgeons all over the world.  His work has saved countless lives; and, he subsequently received many well-deserved awards, honors and academic appointments.  Doctors who may be interested in following him into the field of cardiology will have to complete a cardiovascular fellowship Washington DC or elsewhere http://www.medstarhealth.org/.