Dr. Rainer Gruessner has performed many “firsts” in the fields of transplantation and general surgery. He was involved in the first split pancreas transplant in 1988 and described the first standardized technique for intestinal transplants from living donors. He is on the editorial board of many general and transplant surgery journals, ensuring that the most ground-breaking and useful information in his field makes it out into the public realm for all surgeons to benefit from and use.