Deseret News | Kolff, 'father of artificial organs,' dies at 97

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Kolff, 'father of artificial organs,' dies at 97

Thanks | 11:10 a.m. Feb. 12, 2009

Thanks for choosing Utah to work. Sad to see there are not a hundred comments here.

EBS | 11:52 a.m. Feb. 12, 2009

I grew up around the corner from Dr. Kolff in SLC and he was an amazing person and man and I will always remember his laugh. His brilliance saved thousands and thousands of lives. Rest in peace old man.

john | 1:05 p.m. Feb. 12, 2009

artist in heart and kidneys

Comments continue below

Phoebe | 1:40 p.m. Feb. 12, 2009

A brilliant and decent man, a big loss to science and Utah.

Tiffany | 6:14 p.m. Feb. 12, 2009

I'm working for kidney field in other country. But, I am also very sorry for hearing this news. Without his significant works, countless patients including my patients might thier lives. Peace to his ashes.

Dr, Erich H. Loewy | 6:33 p.m. Feb. 12, 2009

Dr. Kolff developed the artifical kidney in the Netherlands under the eyes of the occupying Nazis, in a small building near the hospital marked with "highly infectious--do not enter. I met him in Cleveland when he was told a patient had run out of insurance and could stay no longer. I was chief resident at Metro and he called me if I could help. So I admitted her and three times a week she was taken to the Clinic and back to Metro. This was done in the evening since the clinic might have a fit. Some years later he invited me to join him for a week or so in his research. He was a brilliant, decent, humourous, kindly gentleman whowould make a wonderful role model.

Dr. Erich H. Loewy
Prof & F'dg Chair, Bioethics (emeritus)
U of CA, Davis
ehloewy@ucdavis.edu

Ravi Jayakaran | 5:40 a.m. Feb. 13, 2009

He has changed the lives of many people, with his relentless hard work and dedication, which will never be wasted. Not many people have contributed the way he has done, may his soul rest in peace.
Ravi Jayakaran,
Renal Unit,
Johannesburg Hospital,
South Africa.

Shawn Laughlin | 8:28 a.m. Feb. 13, 2009

I was blessed with the opportunity for four years to work with Dr. Kolff on the artificial heart. He was a brilliant man and a kind man and full of humor. He will be missed, but the world is better for his having been in it.

M.Nandakumar | 7:41 p.m. Feb. 13, 2009

A genius whose ideas and inventions helped millions.
Dr.Nandakumar
Singapore

Forrest M. Bird, M.D. | 9:55 a.m. Feb. 15, 2009

Dr. Kolff was one of the most dedicated biomedical technologists that I have ever met. He has left his footprint on mankind forever with his great pioneering in the medical field.

Dr. Srinivas Nalloor | 12:28 a.m. Feb. 16, 2009

An inspirational figure and a true genius. Not many realise how much medicine has benfited from his contribution. The medical world has lost a man whose void cannot be filled.

Oscar Cairoli | 11:13 a.m. Feb. 17, 2009

I just want to say thank you Dr. Kolff for your great contribution to science and patients.

Oscar Cairoli, RN, MA
LOs Angeles

Richard L. Faber, Ph.D. | 5:21 p.m. Feb. 17, 2009

I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Kolff many years ago. Now in my 41st year of hemodialysis (having started in June of 1968). I am grateful to Dr. Kolff and the researchers and clinicians who came after him for all these years of life.

AEmilie | 7:29 a.m. Feb. 19, 2009

I met Kolff several times and that was a great privilege. He was allways a pleasant company with all kind of interesing and funny stories about his life an his work.
The most important thing Kolff said to met was: When a doctor does not listen to the (head)nurse he should be kicked in an certain place. As a (dailysis)nurse I love the fact that he saw allreadey the need of doctors listening to nurses. Very common to day but in his days a revolution!

Don Tibbets Jr. | 4:53 p.m. March 8, 2009

Sad to see Dr. Kolff go. Because of him my wife lived nearly 30 years on dialysis. She met him once not long after she went on at age 14 to thank him for saving her life. He was awesome.

Dolores | 8:50 a.m. March 13, 2009

I met PIM at Downstate in Brooklyn New York when he joined us in the Nephrology Department as "the junior member of the faculty". He made me laugh from the first moment with that comment. I was in awe of him. He encouraged my dreams and added to them with his continued interest in artificial organs, at that time he was working on the artificial lung. Just today I found out about his death while remembering him to a student and as such he remains alive and well! I love you Dr Kolff. Rest in Peace!

Kinsey Sechler | 9:53 a.m. March 13, 2009

I am doing an research paper on him. And what he has done is amazing. It is truly said to see him go.

Prof Evaristo J Fernndez Ruiz | 10:16 a.m. April 10, 2009

Todos nos hemos quedado muy tristes y te echamos mucho de menos, Pim Kolff. Tus pacientes nunca te olvidarn. Descansaen paz.

Balaji Jagannathan | 8:03 p.m. Sept. 21, 2009

He is inovative, visionary and dedicated researcher who saved and still saving millions of life through his innovation. We salute you of your great achievment. We are proud to lived in your era...May your soul rest in peace

Balaji Jagannathan
Research Coordinator
CCREP
Middlemore Hospital, Auckland
New Zealand.

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