Edwin William Salzman, HMS professor of surgery emeritus died on Oct. 3 at the age of 82.
A resident of Cambridge and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., Salzman was formerly associate director of the surgical service and chief of vascular surgery at Beth Israel Hospital, now Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Salzman graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and earned his medical degree in 1953 from the university’s school of medicine. Following an internship in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, he served in the U.S. Air Force, spending two years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base helping develop the anti-gravity “G-suit.” In 1956, he returned to Mass General for surgical training under Edward D. Churchill. Salzman served as a postdoctoral fellow at Oxford University’s Radcliffe Infirmary in 1959 under R.G. MacFarlane, professor of clinical pathology, who had made enormous contributions to deciphering the process of blood coagulation.
In 1972, Salzman was named professor of surgery at HMS.
Salzman investigated the prevention and control of bleeding as well as thrombotic disorders. His lab established that von Willebrand’s disease is caused by malfunctioning platelets and showed that cyclic AMP and calcium trigger platelet activation. With William Harris, Salzman defined optimal regimens using anticoagulants to prevent thromboembolism following hip surgery and replacement. With Edward Merrill at MIT, Salzman worked to impart anti-thrombotic properties to surfaces, contributing to the design of stents and other devices.
Salzman co-edited editions of Haemostasis and Thrombosis and Surgery of the Chest and published hundreds of papers on the physiology of blood platelets, the interaction of blood with artificial surfaces and the prevention of thrombotic complications of trauma and surgery. Through clinical trials on venous thrombosis and stroke, he demonstrated that “an aspirin a day keeps the doctor away.”
Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease at age 48, Salzman shifted his focus to the lab. For 13 years he served as deputy editor of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Salzman’s leadership posts included chairing the American Heart Association Council on Thrombosis, from which he received the Distinguished Achievement Award. He also received the Distinguished Career Award from the International Committee on Thrombosis and Haemostasis. He was also president of the New England Society of Vascular Surgery.
Salzman is survived by his wife of 56 years, Nancy (Lurie) Salzman and sons Andrew Salzman, David Salzman, and James Salzman,. A memorial observance was held on Oct. 5 and 6.
