The Head of the Cardiac Surgery Unit at Hospiten Rambla, Dr. Rafael Llorens, has received an award in the first edition of the 'European Awards in Medicine 2019' in the category of Cardiovascular Surgery, organized by ‘The Supplement’ and which took place at a gala at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
This new edition of European awards came about with the purpose of promoting excellence and knowledge through teaching, research and the creation of proactive networks. This is an award that represents the recognition of work in the fields of medicine, science and training.
Dr. Llorens, with a prestigious career behind him, received the National 21st Century Medicine Prize in the same specialty last April at a gala that took place in Madrid. He has now received a new international award in recognition of the dedication and enthusiasm that has led him to be one of the best cardiovascular surgeons worldwide.
In his speech, the doctor stated it is an honor and a privilege to receive the award and thanked everyone for the respect and trust placed in him. He also took the opportunity to thank his mentors for the training they gave him.
He also gave a special mention to the President of the Hospiten Group, Dr. Pedro Luis Cobiella Suarez, “for the confidence placed in him and his unwavering commitment to quality that has allowed the entire team, who I also thank, to improve and update our professional activity”.
And he gave personal thanks to all his family, his parents, sisters, his wife and daughters, "without whom I could not have dedicated, as I have, so much time to my profession.".
Dr. Llorens holds a degree in Medicine and Surgery from the University of Navarra and a PhD from the University of Navarra with distinction. He has completed several courses and practice periods on cardiac surgery at the University of Navarra, the Hôpital Broussais in Paris, the Loyola University Hospital in Chicago and at the Pittsburgh University Hospital. Throughout his professional career, he has combined his medical work with teaching, and is a professor at the University of Navarra.
Since 1996, he has held the position of Head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Service at Hospiten Rambla. A center that has been at the forefront in cardiac surgery techniques using arterial mammary grafts, off-pump coronary surgery, having carried out more than 3,000 interventions with the technique, coronary revascularization with epidural anesthesia and the patient awake, mitral and aortic valve repair, limited-access surgery, endovascular repair of thoracic and abdominal aorta and so on.
He was a pioneer in Spain in the implementation of Coronary Bypass Surgery with mechanical anastomosis and with epidural anesthesia in 2004. He is a member of the top Spanish and international scientific societies and the Royal Academy of Medicine of Tenerife.
Author and co-author of more than 110 papers in national journals, 51 in international journals and 6 books, he has also done 217 communications and presentations and more than a dozen conferences.
In 2002, Dr. Llorens led a team of twelve in the first successful intervention in Spain implanting a pig aorta in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, replacing the aortic valve and the ascending portion of the aorta, reconnecting the coronary arteries to the pig prosthesis.