A tribute to Dr Willem J. Kolff: innovative inventor, physician, scientist, bioengineer, mentor, and significant contributor to modern cardiovascular surgical and anesthetic practice.

Dr Willem J. Kolff was surely one of the greatest inventors/physicians/scientists/bioengineers of the last few hundred years. He was knighted (Commander of the Order of Oranje-Nassau) in 1970 by Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. In 1990, Life magazine published a list of its own 100 most important figures of the 20th century. Kolff stood in 99th place as the Father of Artificial Organs. Dr Kolff forged a path of innovative thinking and creativity that has had a huge impact on the quality of human life. His contributions to the development of the artificial kidney and dialysis, the heart-lung machine, the membrane oxygenator, potassium arrest of the heart, the AH, mechanical cardiac assistance, and other artificial organs, and his support and mentoring of hundreds to thousands of anesthesiologists, surgeons, and bioengineers throughout the world, have had a significant impact on anesthesiology and the medical community.