| Year | Events |
| 1961 | Dr. Thomas J. Fogarty invented and used a balloon embolectomy catheter to remove blood clots from a patient. The catheter became the 1st MIS surgical device |
| 1958 | Sir John Charnley, M.D. perfected the total hip replacement system by introducing two new materials (bone cement and high density polyethylene). In 1962, he successfully implanted the 2-component artificial hip joint made of metal and plastic. The joint was similar to a natural one. After years of research, the Charnley hip has become a gold standard |
| 1969 | Dr. Denton Cooley of Texas 1st successfully implanted an artificial heart in a patient, followed by transplantation of a donor heart that kept him alive for 30-hour |
| 1970 | Dr. William S. Pierce (thoracic surgeon and chemical engineer) developed the Penn State Heart-Assist Pump, the 1st surgically implantable pulsatile blood pump used in thousands of patients worldwide with excellent results |
| 1972 | The prototype for the cochlear implant was 1st implanted by Dr. William F. House (father of neurotology). The device provides hearing for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients when hearing aids do not work. |
| 1973 | Dr. Lazar J. Greenfield invented a filter to be placed inside the inferior vena cava. It is the 1st effective method of trapping IVC clots to prevent pulmonary embolism |
| 1975 | Dr. Robert H. Bartlett successfully treated an infant with respiratory failure using extra-corporal membrane oxygenator (ECMO) at the University of California-Irvine. This accomplishment changed the 90% mortality of neonatal lung failure into 90% survival rate |
| 1991 | Dr. Juan Carlos Parodi of Argentina reported the 1st successful endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm in five patients. This less invasive approach represented a quantum change in managing patients with vascular disease |