The LeMaitre Story

Our History

The LeMaitre story began when George D. LeMaitre, MD, a vascular surgeon, wasn’t satisfied with the options that were available to him. He sought to develop a better way to treat lower extremity arterial disease in his patients. Working with an engineer, he designed a valvulotome that could be used to cut valves in peripheral veins without the burdensome requirement of direct vision.

Pleased with the performance of his valvulotome, Dr. LeMaitre felt other surgeons might also benefit from it. In 1983, he founded what would become LeMaitre.

Over time, Dr. LeMaitre’s son, George W. LeMaitre, joined the company, helping to grow it from a family-owned business to a publicly held global provider of innovative devices for the treatment of peripheral vascular disease. Today, we sell directly to hospitals in 29 countries and through distributors in more than 65 countries.