Epilogue

The aim of this book was to tell the story of how coronary angioplasty came to be, in the style of an investigation. Its starting point was a lecture at the 2008 HIGH-TECH Cardio Congress in Marseille, France entitled, The History of Angioplasty: From Balloon to Drug-Eluting Stent. In summarizing the founding documents and delving back into the fascinating origins, including those that I personally witnessed or knew, I have tried to relive this invention day-by-day, attempting to trace the “sequences” which allowed us to make progress. My intention was to closely follow the creative spirit of these inventors. There are surely errors or omissions, but I have tried to establish a coherence in this set of raw data. The other purpose has been to attempt to describe the personal way that each interventional cardiologist as made advances, to perfect him or herself in order to make good choices. During the eighties, abstracts had the advantage of providing “immediate” information.

This book does not pretend to cover the far reaches of the globe. Many of the “first-generation pioneers”, who also embraced and pursued these developments, are not included. This book covers the history I personally lived through as a cardiologist...