| 1 | Name: | Dr. Ronald M. Fairman | |
| Institution: | Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania | ||
| Year Elected: | 2016 | ||
| Class: | 2. Biological Sciences | ||
| Subdivision: | 204. Medicine, Surgery, Pathology and Immunology | ||
| Residency: | Resident | ||
| Living? : | Living | ||
| Birth Date: | 1951 | ||
Ronald Fairman, an internationally acclaimed vascular surgeon, has played a central role in shaping an entirely new field of medicine, endovascular therapy. This field has virtually transformed and vastly improved the care of patients afflicted with blood vessel disorders such as aneurysms of the thoracic and abdominal aorta and blockage of arteries such as the carotid, renal and femoral. Fairman has been a pioneer in endovascular surgery. In this new treatment, complex devices are inserted via catheters into peripheral arteries and with radiographic imaging advanced centrally to stent or seal off aortic aneurysms or to open and restore flow to narrowed or occluded arteries. Thus, intricate but less invasive procedures are substituted for major or more dangerous ones such as open operations to remove aneurysms or bypass arterial occlusions. Fairman’s research has developed, tested and improved endovascular procedures and the complex devices necessary for their conduct. Each new device must be subjected to extensive evaluation and clinical testing before it can be approved by the FDA. Approval can only be accomplished by demonstrated safety and effectiveness in well-designed clinical trials. Fairman is at the forefront of these multi-institutional national trials, serving as the principal investigator, a major participant or advisor to the FDA on dozens of them. He has presented two papers at general meetings of the APS. Members may recall his presentation of this work to the Society at its April 2015 Meeting. The results of these trials and other aspects of his clinical experience have been reported by Fairman in more than 140 peer reviewed publications in scientific journals, dozens of chapters and editorials and in lectures and visiting professorships around the world. He is a member of the editorial boards of four vascular journals. In 2014 he received the highest award from the Society for Vascular Surgery and in 2016 he served as its president. Dr. Fairman was Professor of Surgery from 2002-2017, Chief of the Vascular Division of Penn’s Department of Surgery. At that time, he also served the entire Penn Health System as chairman of the committee evaluating new programs and the purchase of equipment for them. After retiring from surgical practice in 2017, he began serving as a volunteer for the FDA. He has now become an endowed member of the FDA and is the agency’s most important expert in evaluation of implantable devices to replace diseased aortic and other blood vessels, often reporting to Congress on the agency’s activities. | |||