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Donald
Baim, Interventional Cardiologist, Dead at 60
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Donald S.
Baim, MD |
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November 7, 2009 --
Interventional cardiologist, Donald S. Baim, died yesterday
following surgery, performed to treat a rare form of cancer
that attacks the adrenal glands. He was 60.
Baim was one of the pioneers of interventional cardiology,
having worked with John Simpson at Stanford in the early days
of balloon
angioplasty. He subsequently moved to Boston, establishing
in 1981 the interventional cardiology program at Beth Israel
Medical Center, and joining the faculty of Harvard Medical
School.
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In 2000 he was recruited by Brigham and Women's
Hospital and in 2005 became the Chief Academic Officer of the Harvard
Clinical Research
Institute (HCRI). In 2006, he left clinical practice to become Executive
Vice President and Chief Medical and Scientific Officer at Boston
Scientific, the first of a series of clinicians to move to industry
that year. At the time, Baim commented:
"I do not leave a lifetime
career in academic
medicine lightly, but I am convinced I can have a greater
impact on the development of revolutionary health care technologies
by becoming a member of the leadership team of what is now
one
of the world's
largest medical device manufacturers."
Indeed, Baim walked into the most challenging period for manufacturers
of drug-eluting stents, for that year the so-called "firestorm" of
the 2006 European Congress of Cardiology erupted, calling into question
the safety of drug-eluting stents and the increased incidence of
late stent thrombosis with these devices. Dr. Baim and Boston Scientific
very quickly made public their collected data which showed
this slight increase, but Dr. Baim remained firm that this issue
did
not
result
in an increase
in heart attack or death. Subsequent studies have shown this to be
true, although the issues around late stent thrombosis are still
being investigated.
Commenting on Dr. Baim, Boston Scientific
CEO Ray Elliot said that Baim was "a pioneer in the development
of interventional cardiology.... The many contributions he made
to science, medicine and medical technology will serve as a proud
and
enduring legacy."
Memorial services are set for
Monday in Canton, Mass.
Reported by Burt Cohen, November 7, 2009
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