Francis Robicsek

Francis Robicsek (July 4, 1925 – April 3, 2020) was an American cardio-thoracic surgeon in Charlotte, North Carolina.[1] Before moving to America, he was one of the surgeons to perform Hungary’s first heart valve replacement surgeries in 1954. He was the first surgeon to perform heart bypass surgeries in the state in 1956 and the first heart transplant in 1986.[2] He was the founder of the Sanger Clinic and the developer of the Robicsek technique.

Childhood and education

Robicsek was born in Hungary as Ferenc Robicsek. He worked as a medic from 1945-1950 while earning his medical license from Péter Pázmány University. He was among the team of surgeons to perform the first heart valve replacement surgery in Hungary in 1954.[3]

Career

Robicsek was the chief of Cardiac Surgery at the University of Budapest when he was 28 years old.[4] He immigrated to America in 1956 and began working in the Carolinas Medical Centre which he managed. He pioneered cardio-vascular procedures in North Carolina and performed the first heart transplant in that state in 1986.[5]

In 1965, Robicsek developed the Robicsek technique which customizes a single surgical intervention for people suffering from dented chest.[3] [6]

Throughout his career he served as the Chairman of the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Medical Director of the Carolinas Heart Institute, and President and Founder of the Sanger Clinic. He also maintained teaching positions as the Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and as Adjunct Professor in Biomedical Engineering and Anthropology at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.[7]

He retired from surgery in 1998, after operating on more than 35,000 patients. He continued his medical work through humanitarian missions.[8]

In adherence to his wishes, which he articulated before his April 2020 death, he was buried in his surgical scrubs.[9] [10]

Philanthropy and humanitarian work

In 1959, he founded the Heineman Medical Outreach Inc., a research organization in Charlotte.

Robicsek travelled to Central and South America to offer medical services. In 1976, he was part of a medical team that worked following an earthquake in Honduras. He eventually established a medical facility there and in other Central American countries.[11] He became an expert on the Mayan culture and wrote books about their customs.[12] [13]

He was an ancient art collector. He donated the majority of the collection to the Mint Museum.[14]

Awards and recognition
  • 2007: The World Affairs Council of Charlotte, World Citizen Award.[15]
  • 2013: Leadership Charlotte, Lifetime Achievement Award.[16]
  • 2017: Surgical Humanitarian Award.[17]
  • 2018: the Sanger Heart and Vascular Institute endowed a $3.5 million chair in Robicsek’s name.[18]
  • 2019: Southern Thoracic Surgical Association Inspiration Award.[19]

Personal life

He was married to Lily. They fled from Soviet controlled Hungary together via East Berlin; they spent some time in an Austrian refugee camp before arriving in America.[4] The couple had four children.

References
  1. "francis robicsek".
  2. "Francis Robicsek".
  3. "The Hungarian doctor who paved the way for open-heart surgery | HEPA". www.businessgrove.com.gr. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  4. "North Carolina Doctor Francis Robicsek".
  5. Glenn, Gwendolyn. "Legendary Charlotte Heart Surgeon Remembered". www.wfae.org. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  6. Saxena, Amulya K. (2017-06-07). Chest Wall Deformities. Springer. ISBN 978-3-662-53088-7.
  7. Robicsek, F. (2000-06-01). "Francis Robicsek, MD, PhD: a conversation with the editor ∗". American Journal of Cardiology. 85 (11): 1340–1356. doi:10.1016/S0002-9149(00)00880-8. ISSN 0002-9149. PMID 10831952.
  8. "Retired Charlotte Surgeon helping hospitals in Central America".
  9. Lee, Alicia. "Renowned surgeon, known for his generosity and humanitarian work, asked to be buried in his scrubs". CNN. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  10. "Renowned surgeon, known for his generosity and humanitarian work, asked to be buried in his scrubs". www.erienewsnow.com. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  11. "Francis Robicsek, Obituary - Charlotte, NC". Dignity Memorial. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  12. Robicsek, Francis (1975). A Study in Maya Art and History: The Mat Symbol. Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. ISBN 978-0-934490-25-2.
  13. Robicsek, Francis (1978). The Smoking Gods: Tobacco in Maya Art, History, and Religion. University of Oklahoma Press. ISBN 978-0-8061-1511-5.
  14. "Art of the Ancient Americas". The Mint Museum. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  15. Charlotte, W. A. C. (2013-06-26), 2007 World Citizen Award Dinner Honoring Dr. Francis Robicsek, retrieved 2020-04-16
  16. "Previous Award Recipients – Leadership Charlotte". leadershipcharlotte.org. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  17. "2017 Surgical Humanitarianism Award: Francis Robicsek". American College of Surgeons. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
  18. "Atrium Health Foundation Endowment" (PDF).
  19. "Charles Fraser and Francis Robicsek Named 2019 STSA Inspiration Award Recipients : STSA". Retrieved 2020-04-16.
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