Fund Purpose: To endow the Grant Hieshima Luminary Lecture
Grant Hieshima passed away unexpectedly on August 9, 2019, while enjoying one of his life-long passions, deep sea fishing, with his son Michael at his side, at the age of 77.
In the 1980s, the field of NIR was just beginning, and Grant was one of the early pioneers. He developed the Hieshima detachable silicone balloon in collaboration with two engineers who became lifelong friends, Bill Dormandy and Julie Bell from Interventional Therapeutics Corporation (ITC). Grant’s balloon was used to treat traumatic carotid cavernous sinus fistulas by floating the balloon from the internal carotid artery across the tear and then detaching the balloon by gentle traction. The balloon would self-seal after being inflated with contrast. For large fistulous compartments, often multiple balloons would have to be used before the final balloon sealed the torn segment of the artery. The silicone balloon was also used to close off traumatic fistulas of the carotid and vertebral arteries, permanent occlusion of larger vessels for giant cavernous aneurysms, and eventually to treat both ruptured and unruptured large cerebral aneurysms. In addition, the balloon was also used to treat symptomatic vasospasm by gentle inflation across the narrowed carotid, middle cerebral or basilar artery in order to restore normal luminal diameter and to improve cerebral perfusion.
Grant trained more than 100 fellows in diagnostic angiography and NIR procedures. He was a well-respected academician with more than 150 scientific publications and 60 book chapters, and was an invited speaker at more than 400 medical conferences across the world. He directed more than 20 grants and research trials involving new techniques in the management of brain aneurysms, subarachnoid hemorrhage with vasospasm, brain arteriovenous malformations, intra-arterial thrombolysis, and cerebral angioplasty.
The SNIS Inaugural Luminary Lecturer, Grant was a true visionary, pioneer of early interventional neuroradiology procedures and techniques, a compassionate physician to his patients, a patient and learned teacher and mentor to his fellows, residents and students, and a very kind and generous friend with a gentle spirit and soul.
In 2020, the SNIS Luminary Lecture was renamed the Grant Hieshima Luminary Lecture thanks to Grant’s trainees who are working to establish an endowment in his honor. Disbursements from this fund will pay for the luminary lecturer’s travel, lodging and a small honorarium.
