Pierre Grondin

Pierre Grondin (August 18, 1925 - January 17, 2006) was a Canadian cardiac surgeon who was one of the first doctors to perform a successful heart transplant.

Education and career
Grondin was awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Université Laval in 1951, after which he went on to obtain a specialist’s certificate in cardiac surgery and a fellowship from the American College of Surgeons in San Francisco in 1960. He began his career as a surgeon at the Hôpital Ste-Marie de Trois-Rivières. In 1971, he joined the faculty of medicine of the Université de Montréal as clinical professor.

Achievements and later life
Dr. Grondin was one of the pioneers in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery in his locale. In collaboration with other surgeons, he organized the surgery department at the Montreal Heart Institute; he was the department's head from 1963 to 1975. During this time, he was appointed Honorary Professor of the Faculty of Medicine of Santo Domingo. He was also responsible for agreements between the Université de Montréal and its counterparts in Liège and Madrid. In the course of his career, he became the recipient of several prominent awards, including the Prix Lenègre from the Fondation Nativelle in France, and the Order of Canada medal. In May 1968, at the Montreal Heart Institute, he performed the first successful heart transplant in Canada.

To date, over 300 cardiac transplants have been performed at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI). Through Grondin's leadership, the MHI built a surgical team that is now known worldwide for its expertise in cardiovascular pathology and its commitment to research and teaching.

Grondin died in Shawinigan, Quebec on January 17, 2006 at the age of 80. He is survived by his 5 children: Louis, Jean, Marie-Pierre, Bernard, and Michel.