Who performed the first percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty by customizing a balloon in 1977?

• A. Andreas Gruentzig
• B. Charles Dotter
• C. Mason Sones
• D. Sven-Ivar Seldinger

Answer: (A)

Dilation of a narrowed coronary artery with a balloon catheter was pioneered by Andreas Gruentzig in 1977, when he customized a balloon for coronary use and performed the first successful percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. This milestone required adapting the catheter system to the smaller, more delicate coronary vessels and demonstrated that targeted balloon dilation could relieve atherosclerotic stenosis without open surgery. While Dotter advanced peripheral angioplasty and Sones introduced selective coronary angiography, and Seldinger developed the safe percutaneous access technique, Gruentzig’s achievement stands as the first coronary balloon angioplasty.