Frank J. Hildner, Founding Member of SCAI, Dies at 90

An early pioneer in the interventional community, Hildner advocated for sharing experiences to improve patient outcomes.

Frank J. Hildner, Founding Member of SCAI, Dies at 90

Photo Credit: The Hildner Family.

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) today announced that one of its founding members, Frank J. Hildner, MD, for whom the annual Hildner lecture is named, has died at age 90.

SCAI President James B. Hermiller, MD (Ascension Heart Center of Indiana, Indianapolis), reflected on Hildner’s clinical and academic legacy, which included serving as editor-in-chief of the journal Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions.

“His visionary leadership helped guide SCAI through its formative years, ensuring it would become the trusted home for interventional cardiology,” Hermiller noted in a press release,.

Hildner was born in Chicago and trained in cardiology at the Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, MI), before becoming director of the cardiac catheterization lab at Mt. Sinai Hospital (Miami Beach, FL). He later worked for decades in private practice in Florida while contributing to the advancement of SCAI. An early pioneer in interventional cardiology, Hildner’s obituary notes that he had a close friendship with F. Mason Sones Jr, MD, who was instrumental in the development of cardiac catheterization procedures and CABG surgery.

After 36 years in practice, Hildner also turned his hand to book writing, authoring a memoir entitled Behind the Lead Apron.

SCAI Past President Steven R. Bailey, MD (Louisiana State University, Shreveport), said Hildner understood “that the emerging field of invasive and interventional cardiology would have greater success if there were options for sharing experiences to improve patient outcomes.” That vision remains the focus of the annual Hildner lecture.

“His desire to foster discussions about improving outcomes led him to establish a journal that focused on the ‘how’ in our procedures in addition to the ‘why.’ In his capacity as editor-in-chief, he oversaw the most widely read interventional cardiology journal, often publishing the first reports of new techniques and technology. He contributed to the careers of pioneers in interventional cardiology and today's practitioners,” Bailey added.

Hildner is survived by Christine, his wife of 67 years, as well as three children, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

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