Barry D. Rutherford, MD, a world renowned interventional cardiologist, was presented the TCT 2012 Geoffrey O. Hartzler Master Clinical Operator Award in a ceremony held today during the 24th annual Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) scientific symposium, sponsored by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF). The award is given each year to a physician who has advanced the field of interventional cardiovascular medicine through technical excellence and innovation.
An early mentor of Dr. Hartzler at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and later a colleague of his at the Saint Luke's Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, Dr. Rutherford is known for his expertise in the development of techniques for direct balloon angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction and multi-vessel angioplasty. Among his current research interests are the development of new procedures for the treatment of chronic total occlusions in coronary arteries and for the management of acute myocardial infarction.
Dr. Rutherford has also devoted much of his career to physician training and education, teaching countless numbers of physicians over the years. In addition to serving as the principal investigator of a number of clinical trials, Dr. Rutherford has authored more than 200 abstracts and publications in peer reviewed journals and has delivered more than 230 invited lectures around the world.