William Ganz, MD, 1919-2009

November 11, 2009—Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles announced the death of William Ganz, MD, coinventor of the Swan-Ganz catheter (Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, Irvine, CA). Memorial services were held at Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Hollywood on November 12.

In 1970, Dr. Ganz and H.J.C. Swan, MD, Chief of Cardiology at Cedars-Sinai at that time, invented a balloon-tipped catheter to assess heart function in critically ill patients. The following year, Dr. Ganz developed a new method for direct measurement of blood flow in humans. His measurement technique was then incorporated into the Swan-Ganz catheter. Both the catheter and the Ganz measurement method are still the gold standards in cardiac medicine, stated Cedars-Sinai.

In 1982, Dr. Ganz collaborated with P.K. Shah, MD, the current director of the Cardiology Division at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, to conduct the first studies in treating heart attacks by dissolving coronary artery blood clots. Cedars-Sinai became the first medical center in the US to test this therapy in humans, which is now the standard treatment for heart attack patients throughout the world. In 1992, Dr. Ganz was awarded the Distinguished Scientist Award of the American College of Cardiology. The International Academy of Cardiology honored Dr. Ganz in 1995 with the Walter Bleifeld Memorial award for distinguished work in the field of clinical research.

"Dr. Ganz was a giant in medicine and in life," commented Dr. Shah. "He changed the lives of millions through his significant contributions to medicine, but he never lost sight of the importance of family and friends. He has left us a rich and enviable legacy."