“In November 1929, Werner Forssmann, a German surgical resident, attempted the first documented central venous catheter with a 35 cm-long catheter via his left antecubital vein. Although revolutionary for his time, this innovation encountered significant opposition, and he was expelled from his training programme for this unauthorised experimentation. Despite the initial censure, his idea garnered interest across the Atlantic in the US, where Andre Counard and Dickinson Richards, in the 1940s, refined his technique and used it for cardiovascular research. In 1956, Forsmann, Counard and Richards were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology for their work on central venous access.”

Ong SJ, Anil G. Interventional radiology placement of totally implantable venous access devices in oncology practice. Ann Acad Med Singap. 2025 Jan 15;54(1):3-4. doi: 10.47102/annals-acadmedsg.2024380. PMID: 39886952.