The Challenging Dream of Rene Favaloro and Genesis of Saphenous Venous Grafts

Rene Geronimo Favaloro was a noble personality in the history of heart surgery. Though Known mostly in the surgeons’ circles for the Favaloro sternal retractor named after him, his contribution in introducing saphenous venous coronary grafts have saved millions of lives over last six decades. By his admirable integrity, honesty, commitment to the patients, selflessness and compassion, Dr Favaloro has set an example that every surgeon should emulate.1 But this famous and talented surgeon ultimately had a very unfortunate and tragic end of his colorful life. Rene G Favaloro was born in 1923 and raised in La Plata, Argentina. After graduating from high school, he was admitted to the School of Medicine at the National University of La Plata. During his third year, he began his medical residency at the Hospital Policlinico San Martin, a medical centre that received the most complicated cases from much of Buenos Aires province. In that residency program, he attended procedures carried out by Professors Jose Maria Mainetti and Federico E. B. Christmann, from whom he learned simplicity and standardization that he would later apply to his great contributions to cardiovascular operating techniques. Favaloro graduated with a medical degree in 1949.2,3