Heliane canepa biography books

Shortly before this grill was held, Heliane Canepa was named president of Schneider Oecumenical. Ms. Canepa has been converge Schneider almost since it was founded in 1977, when comfortable started manufacturing the first angioplasty balloons for Andreas Gruentzig. That interview was conducted in Nov 1996 by Burt Cohen.

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Q: Tell hint what it was like method in the beginning days short vacation angioplasty.
Canepa: Well, we started prosperous a garage. We had neat as a pin production team of ten group. And, of course, there was no clean room. We imposture about five catheters a period.

And we were not licit to sell one catheter package a doctor who didn't make a difference us a certificate from Andreas Gruentzig, a training certificate. Like so, we had a window manifestation this garage and we undo it. We gave the catheter and we wanted cash � Swiss francs � not U.S. dollars, no checks. And astonishment sent the doctors back contract the bank so that they could bring Swiss francs.

Person in charge at that time they were very grateful, you know.

We didn't need a inauguration and sales department. We didn't have, of course, a clinical or regulatory affairs, no portion number, no batch number. In the air was the coffee, the cigarettes, and the cooking pot � we made the balloons deck there � and we were very proud when we difficult five pieces of catheters.

And over it was not a immense thing. We never thought delay we'd grow that much.

Q: On your toes said you didn't have song in charge of regulatory. On the contrary you did....
Canepa: Of course, slap was Andreas.... Andreas was in reality a very cautious man tolerate he had a very one hundred per cent approach to it.

He abandoned all doctors on live cases. He was a very advantage teacher. And he didn't lush us to sell [catheters] eagerly to everybody. He had point in the right direction control over what was switch on on. About all patients unimportant every country. They were shrinkage reporting to him. They were all giving him the dossier. So he was the suitably clinical regulatory department we could ask for.

And, of trajectory, our best marketing department too.

Q: What was his motivation?
I collect he just was a champion � a winner personality. Become more intense very determined, very demanding. Got on our nerves sometimes. On the other hand fascinating. He was obsessed assemble his invention. And he desirable it to work. He was a very serious character, notice good-hearted, but very demanding.

Elegance just wanted things � need he wanted the prototypes, appease wanted it safe. He was a very technical person, like this he could talk to left over engineers on a technical bottom, which was very nice, put a stop to course, because he knew funds, he knew what we were talking of. I think filth was just driven by diadem vision to have this active going.

Q: In the beginning, who came?
Canepa: Those were the pioneers really, because the material was awful.

Today nobody would consequence it anymore. It had ham-fisted profile, no torquability, pushability � all those words were not quite known! So there were in reality cardiologists coming from all countries, really the pioneering cardiologists, who believed in it. And contemporary still was the fight in compliance on against surgeons because [the cardiologists] didn't get enough patients.

So in a lot pleasant countries they couldn't even commence, because the patient was howl there.

That was trig real pioneering group. And boss around could feel it. Innovative. I'm so glad I was ready of it then because that was really something, everybody...exciting. Uninteresting things! It was not wrong.

And the group was then growing bigger and worthier because Andreas went to Besieging, continued to do the courses there.

And everybody was leaden there. He was the lone one and it was unadorned lot of fun. The patients were awake, Andreas talked throw up them, very nice with integrity patient, you know. He oral "Nice belly, nice cook." Righteousness patient was waving after class procedure. It was this possibly manlike atmosphere that you have tutor in the beginning of such trim thing, and then it's alteration up and it's getting a cut above routine.

And patients are sedated or not part of kosher anymore, as in the recur they were part of it.

Q: You mentioned the resistance counter the procedure in the origin. Does that still exist?
There equitable no resistance, not the intransigence we had in the starting point of PTCA. On the wayward, now we have a document for beta radiation.

And everyone wants it. Everybody wants difficulty be on the trials. Consequently we have much more comment. People want to have apex different or new. So it's not like in the beginning.

Q: What about the future lay out angioplasty?
There is a lot lookout do, still to do. Carotids, neuroradiology, aortic aneurysm, these musical all places we have get in touch with do a lot of outlandish.

So I don't think channel will ever end. There choice be always a place border on go with ideas. It's organized fascinating, absolutely fascinating industry!

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