This year at the AIMsymposium^™ / VEITHsymposium^™ in New York, Gore is recognizing the efforts of physicians around the globe for their advancement of patient care through the development and use of Gore products.

In the winter of 1970, before Gore had produced any medical products, Bill Gore was invited to speak at a cardiovascular conference in Denver, Colorado. During some downtime from the meeting, he hit the slopes and struck up a conversation with Ben Eisman, MD, a surgeon who was also an enthusiastic pioneer of new technologies.



As they rode up the chairlift, Bill and Doctor Eisman discussed the challenges faced with arterial reconstructions and the complications of harvesting veins. The two men came to a thought, "Wouldn't a GORE-TEX^® tube be a perfect substitute for human vein or artery?" Early animal studies followed, and the first human implants of the GORE-TEX^® Vascular Graft were performed in 1973 by Doctor Eisman. Jack Hoover sold the first graft commercially in 1975 and the rest, as they say, is history.

From that first conversation on the ski slopes of Colorado, Gore has been engaged with physicians. Together we are creating medical milestones by bringing world-class products to market and making a difference in the lives of patients.

Today, Gore has broadened its application of ePTFE and developed bioactive technologies that help improve care in many areas of medicine, but the milestones with the greatest impact have come in the vascular arena. From the aorta through the peripheral vascular system and into the carotids, physicians and Gore have engaged in a synergy that has grown as vascular therapies have grown. The relationship continues to produce improvements for patient care which positively impact the lives of millions of people around the world.