Kenneth M. Kent, MD, PhD (1938-2020): a eulogy
Kenny Kent was a role model for many; his legacy will remain among academicians and practicing cardiologists all around the world.
Kenny Kent was very influential in setting up the new specialty of Interventional Cardiology based on well collected and adjudicated data, which paved the path for the subsequent randomized clinical trials. Without his contributions, our specialty may have been like many others in Medicine, just an art of intuition without the tools for true progress.
Gus Pichard shares his thoughts
A belief in the power of data, a new specialty of Interventional Cardiology based on facts
I first had a close personal interaction with Kenny circa 1978-9 when he came to visit the Cath Labs at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York that I directed. He saw I was doing a compassionate PCI in a patient with 3 degenerated vein grafts. The result was angiographically very good, and he was most supportive in his comments. It was so exciting to have Kenny show up for that complex case: he was the Master of PTCA, he was proctoring and teaching the procedure at multiple institutions, and he knew the most about this new procedure because he had created the NHLBI sponsored National Registry of PTCA.
He always believed in the power of data, and was very influential in setting up the new specialty of Interventional Cardiology based on facts, from well collected and adjudicated data, which paved the path for the subsequent randomized clinical trials. Without Kenny’s contributions, our specialty may have been like many others in Medicine, just an art of intuition without the tools for true progress.From 1969 to 1981 Kenny worked at the Cardiology Branch of the NHLI, as the Head of the Section on Cardiovascular Diagnosis and from 1981 to 1990 he was the Director of the Catheterization Labs at Georgetown University. He was very dedicated to Clinical Research, advancing the field of Interventional Cardiology and to teaching. He trained a large number of Fellows, most of whom became leaders in Interventional Cardiology in the US and abroad.
The creation of the Washington Cardiology Center, the founding of the TCT meeting, leadership in new angioplasty devices and techniques
In 1990 he joined Martin Leon, Lowell Satler and I in the creation of the Washington Cardiology Center at the Washington Hospital Center. Soon thereafter we were joined by Gregg Stone, Jeff Popma, Gary Mintz, Ron Waksman, Roxanna Mehran, George Dangas, Alexandra Lansky and Steve Epstein. This group excelled in developing new angioplasty devices and intracoronary imaging, most of which were demonstrated in live cases during the TCT Meeting that was created by the group at that time. Following Kenny’s lead, Jeff Popma developed a sophisticated database that accelerated the knowledge about all the devices and techniques which had been explored and tested at that time. The group published extensively, learning about the pros and cons of each and every new strategy. Washington Cardiology Center had a major commitment to teaching and training, and Kenny was very active in this effort. Kenny’s wisdom and vision was important for the group at each step of development.
Lowell Satler, Gus Pichard, Kenny Kent, Marty Leon
"Golden hands" in the Cath Lab: appreciated by co-workers and patients alike
Kenny was adored by his co-workers, as they saw in him a kind man, very knowledgeable, with lots of medical experience, and with “golden hands” in the Cath Lab. He was also very kind with his patients who also had a special appreciation for him.
"Kenny was a great role model for many, and his work and influence will be remembered among academicians and practicing cardiologists all around the world. We will miss you, Kenny, but your legacy remains."
Marty B. Leon shares his thoughts
This week we were shocked and saddened by the passing of Kenneth M. Kent (Kenny to his friends), an iconic leader in interventional cardiology, who will be remembered as a soft-spoken gentle person and a creative visionary. I first met Kenny more than 40 years ago when I was a clinical associate at the NIH and he was the director of the catheterization laboratory, performing his first balloon angioplasties in 1978. He interacted frequently with the earliest PTCA stars – Gruentzig, Stertzer, Myler, and Hartzler – and was the stable force behind scientific efforts (the NHLBI PTCA Registry) in the 1980s to critically evaluate the status and progress of balloon angioplasty.
Kenny was a brilliant technical operator, calm and thoughtful under stress, and he was always generous in sharing his skills and experiences with junior colleagues. We founded together a small niche meeting called Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics (TCT) in 1988 as an effort to extend transcatheter procedures beyond the balloon. He willingly embraced a transition era which included stents, atherectomy, and intravascular imaging. His pioneering spirit wasn’t static and I was struck and inspired by his enthusiasm to ‘test the limits’ and try new things. We became colleagues and partners in founding the Washington Cardiology Center in 1990, and in the next decade, we published over 1,000 manuscripts as an indication of our commitment to systematically assess and report the outcomes of new transcatheter therapies.
Kenny was our dear friend, our senior mentor, a remarkably dedicated clinician who practiced patient-centered medicine (before the term became fashionable), and he was true to his academic pedigree, as a profoundly influential clinician scientist.
"His talent and impact as a physician leader are only surpassed by his dedication to friends and his love for his remarkable family."
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