On behalf of the Latin American Society of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery

(LACES), we wish to express our deepest sadness and heartfelt condolences for the

untimely passing of Dominique Vervoort.

 

Dominique was an extraordinary young physician-scientist from Belgium, whose

brilliance, dedication, and intellectual generosity left a profound mark on the global

cardiovascular and health equity community. In a remarkably, yet short life, he had a

Global Surgery Fellow from Harvard University, a combined MPH/MBA from Johns

Hopkins University, and he was a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto. He also

authored and co-authored more than 250 scientific publications, a body of work that

reflects not only exceptional academic rigor, but also a rare moral clarity and sense of

purpose.

 

Beyond his outstanding scientific productivity, Dominique was a tireless advocate for

inclusion and equity in health care. His work consistently emphasized the moral

imperative of ensuring fair and universal access to quality health care for all people,

regardless of geography, income, or social condition. His particular focus on low- and

middle-income countries, including a strong and sustained interest in Latin America, has

had a meaningful and lasting impact on our region and on the way we think about global

cardiovascular care.

 

Dominique participated in several STS / EACTS / LACES Latin America Cardiovascular

Surgery Conference, with his outstanding work. He collaborate and published several

papers with surgeons from our region.

 

Dominique’s voice was one of courage, compassion, and vision. He challenged all of us

to question inequities, and to act with responsibility toward the most vulnerable

populations. His ideas will continue to inspire clinicians, researchers, and policymakers

across Latin America and the world.

 

We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, mentors, colleagues, and to the

academic community that had the privilege of working alongside him. Dominique’s

legacy will endure through his work, his values, and the many lives he touched through

his commitment to justice and humanity in health care.

 

With deepest sympathy and respect,

Latin American Society of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery (LACES)