Creator of Balloon Technique to Clean Arteries Is Killed

FORSYTH, Ga. —  Cardiovascular researcher Andres Gruentzig, who revolutionized treatment of heart disease with a balloon technique to clear arteries of fatty deposits, died in a plane crash, authorities said Monday.

Gruentzig, 46, and his wife, Margaret Anne, 29, were killed Sunday in the crash of a small plane near this community. The cause of the crash, which occurred during a heavy rainstorm, was under investigation.

Gruentzig, born in Dresden, Germany, was classified as a “national treasure” and was granted U.S. citizenship in 1980. He had developed the balloon catheter technique, known as percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, in September, 1977, while working at the Medical Policlinic University Hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.

Gruentzig joined the staff at Emory University in the fall of 1980.