Thomas J.
Fogarty, an American surgeon and medical device inventor, died on December 28, 2025, at age 91. Born Thomas James Fogarty in Cincinnati, Ohio, on February 25, 1934, he was best known for inventing the embolectomy catheter, or balloon catheter, which revolutionized the treatment of blood clots.
In 2008, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for the invention of the balloon catheter and related devices, and for creating companies to commercialize those inventions.
Thomas James Fogarty (February 25, 1934 – December 28, 2025) was an American surgeon and medical device inventor. He is best known for the invention of the embolectomy catheter (or balloon catheter), which revolutionized the treatment of blood clots (emboli).