Humans in Science How real life impinges upon ideal science

rwintle
July 4th, 2008 - 15:30

My sympathies. I also lost a colleague (and mentor) not so very long ago. This is difficult, but take strength from other mutual acquaintances.

Roberto Crosa
July 4th, 2008 - 17:18

, Dear collegues

I am deeply in pain about the death of Prof Lasjaunias
I had the opportunity to know him and to go to his service for several months.
I admired not only his knowledge and his way of working but also his kindness and personality and the passion with he supported his position.
He was also disposed to teach, and I really loved his simplicity despite the great professor he was. He was able to go drinking just a coffe with his fellows and in a way to talk with us as he was an equal.
Going with him changed dramatically our work in Uruguay.
At this time, and because of his help, we are able to treat several pathologies we didn’t know how. He always advised us from the distance, about the cases we sended him.
I can’t imagine the future of interventional neuroradiology without him.
Surely hundreds of children are now alive because of him. For me Prof Lasjaunias will always live in their hearts
Thanks Professor

Dr Roberto Crosa
Neurosurgeon
Endovascular Neurosurgeon
Montevideo-Uruguay
rocrossa@hotmail.com

Gustavo Andrade
July 4th, 2008 - 17:46

Certainly the Neuroscience world is in mourning.

Gustavo Andrade

Interventional Radiologist
Recife-PE
Brazil
www.angiorad.com.br

Sachi
July 4th, 2008 - 18:46

It saddens me to hear this..it is a terrible loss to the field of interventional neuroradiology and radiology education particularly in Asia.
The only consolation is that a great man leaves his footprints on the sands of time….

Marc Zalcman
July 5th, 2008 - 05:54

I had the misfortune of holding my 14 months-old baby in my arms, lying in a sudden coma at his school, waiting for an ambulance to arrive. We then had the incredible fortune to be able to benefit from Pr.Lasjaunias skills, knowledge and humanity. He and his team in Paris, as well as the teams in Brussels, literally saved our baby Nima’s life. These events happened 3 years ago and we always had the plan to go and meet him when our Nima would be a young man, to express again our gratitude. Sadly this will never happen and we are terribly shocked by the premature death of such a brilliant human being. We think with great anxiety and compassion to all the kids who are waiting for a treatment, hoping that someone will be able to carry his torch. He will never be forgotten.
May he rest in peace,

Marc Zalcman & Niloufar Sadeghi & Nima & all the families

Hyun-Seung Kang
July 5th, 2008 - 19:54

We lost a genius, a teacher, as well as a scientist. It’ll take one or two hundred years or more for the neuroscience to advance a little bit without him. I’m in deep grief.

Vincent Pang
July 7th, 2008 - 00:20

The loss of Prof Lasjaunias is tremendous, not only to the thousands of kids he had or going to save, but also to the whole neuroscience field. He has put up so brilliant models of neurovascular diseases and so engaged in the education of young interventionists. I would like to send the warmest empathy and condolescence to Mrs. Lasjaunias. Prof’s contribution would never be forgotten.

Alethea
July 7th, 2008 - 02:24

Everyone – thank you so much. I will send a copy of your messages to his family. I went to Pierre’s funeral on Saturday and it was very moving to hear so many testimonies as to the love and admiration that he inspired in everyone he met.

Friday afternoon’s Le Monde had this article by Jean-Yves Nau (I’ve added in links, but am quoting it here in case the obituary gets deleted in a year or so):

Le professeur Pierre Lasjaunias, responsable du pôle neurosciences-tête et cou de l’hôpital de Bicêtre (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre), est mort le mardi 1er juillet des suites d’un infarctus du myocarde foudroyant à Zurich, où il participait à un congrès européen de neuroradiologie. Il était âgé de 59 ans. Avec cette disparition prématurée, la médecine française perd un responsable hospitalo-universitaire de réputation mondiale qui avait largement contribué au développement des interventions non chirurgicales sur le cerveau humain. Un hommage lui sera rendu samedi 5 juillet à 14 heures au Grand Réservoir de l’hôpital de Bicêtre.

Dates clés

15 juillet 1948
Naissance à Paris.

1968
Début des études de médecine.

1989
Professeur d’anatomie.

1998
Chef de service à l’hôpital de Bicêtre.

2007
Elu président de la Fédération mondiale de neuroradiologie interventionnelle.

1er juillet 2008
Mort à Zurich.

Pierre Lasjaunias naît le 15 juillet 1948 à Paris. Après des études secondaires, il fait sa médecine à Paris de 1968 à 1975. Spécialiste de radiologie en 1983, il est nommé professeur d’anatomie en 1989. Parallèlement, il se spécialise en neuroradiologie vasculaire auprès du docteur Jacqueline Vignaud, à la Fondation Rothschild.

En 1998, il devient chef du service de cette discipline à l’hôpital de Bicêtre. Il avait dans le même temps noué de nombreuses collaborations régulières dans des établissements hospitaliers à Londres, Berlin, New York et Toronto. Il était aussi fréquemment appelé pour des interventions délicates concernant des malformations rares, comme celle pratiquée en 2003 sur des soeurs siamoises au Raffles Hospital de Singapour, pour laquelle il avait notamment mis au point les modèles en trois dimensions reconstituant les systèmes de circulation du sang à l’intérieur de la double boîte crânienne.

La neuroradiologie interventionnelle est une discipline qui est apparue pour l’essentiel en France à la fin des années 1980 sous l’effet des progrès de l’imagerie cérébrale. Contrairement à la neurochirurgie, elle se propose de réaliser des interventions en faisant l’économie de l’ouverture de la boîte crânienne, celles-ci étant réalisées via le système vasculaire sous contrôle neuroradiologique. Pierre Lasjaunias a largement contribué à élargir le champ d’action de cette technique à différentes malformations vasculaires, comme les anévrismes et les malformations artérioveineuses de nourrissons. Outre ses activités de soins et de recherche, il restait passionné par son activité de professeur d’anatomie auprès des jeunes étudiants en médecine de l’université Paris-XI, démontrant de la sorte qu’il est encore possible aujourd’hui de remplir la triple mission assignée aux responsables hospitalo-universitaires.

Son activité ne s’arrêtait toutefois pas là. Depuis le milieu des années 1990, il déployait une intense activité pour assurer le développement de la pratique et de l’enseignement de sa discipline à l’échelon international. Il cherchait ces derniers temps à obtenir sur ce thème une harmonisation au sein des pays de l’Union européenne.

En septembre 2007, il avait, à Pékin, été élu pour deux ans président de la Fédération mondiale de neuroradiologie interventionnelle, société savante de cette spécialité. A cette occasion, il avait déclaré son intention de “se consacrer aux problèmes d’éthique et de conflits d’intérêt en regard avec l’innovation technologique et la formation”. Ce médecin nourrissait en effet, au-delà de sa seule discipline, un très vif intérêt pour les conséquences éthiques du considérable développement des techniques d’imagerie du corps humain. Ce technicien hors pair ne cachait pas non plus ses angoisses devant l’envahissement de la technique et la déshumanisation de la pratique de la médecine.

“Aujourd’hui, on peut dire que l’imagerie explore l’inconnu et transforme la personne en un espace de recherche et d’exploration au prétexte que les outils sont non invasifs, écrivait-il dans un récent ouvrage collectif (Le Corps relégué, “Cahiers du Centre Georges-Canguilhem”, PUF). La technologie radiologique précède la question clinique et finit par la susciter. Elle asservit un peu plus le médecin à l’outil et l’éloigne de l’humain en se soustrayant au lien perçu comme pollueur de la fiabilité scientifique. On transfère un pan du champ social dans le champ de la science.”

Il observait alors qu’entre autres bouleversements l’imagerie allait bien au-delà de ce que la simple clinique permettait, le radiologue devenant le premier informé du diagnostic de la maladie dont le patient est porteur, et pouvant parfois rester le seul informé. “Cette situation privilégiée dans la chaîne de soins lui impose des devoirs, ajoutait-il. Elle requiert de sa part des qualités humaines et sans doute des compétences particulières, pour restituer au patient la matière et le sens de ce qu’il a objectivisé.” Tous ceux qui ont eu la chance de le connaître savent que le docteur Pierre Lasjaunias possédait à la fois ces compétences et ces qualités.

Dr.S.Selvapandian
July 7th, 2008 - 03:12

I have just heard the news and it was shocking to say the least. I am one of his students attending his course at Chiangmai. He was undoubtedly a great teacher and a simple man. We will always miss him.

FG
July 7th, 2008 - 10:04

Very saddened with this news. I will always remember him as the man who said remember ‘we are human first’ at one of his talks and his advice to me to always travel lightly (he helped me carry my heavy bag, when he didn’t even know me).

He was fun and genuine, for a man of his calibre he even replied to my email in which I was only saying hi and thanks. I’m just a student, who met him for a few moments at a meeting, I’m nothing special but he treated me well.

I just wish I had kept his reply to my email, to make sure I would never forget him and to always remind me how successful and down to earth a person can be.

Laurent Braff
July 8th, 2008 - 04:09

Eliott has been treated 4 th times by Prof.Lasjaunias in Paris (Vein of Galen malformation).
Without the treatment of Monsieur Lasjaunias our son would not be a normal litle boy with a normal life.
He was one of the greatest Doctor and pioneer in Science but above all he had such Humanity.
He saved so many childrens ,it is such a great loss for all of us.
All our prayers go with him and his family.
Laurent Braff (tel-aviv)

Dominic Vogt
July 8th, 2008 - 05:09

My sympathies to Ms. Lasjaunias and the family.
This is a great moment of saddeness.
His contribution to the field of interdisciplinary Neuroscience is immense. We will miss him dearly. as a friend and as a guide.
Dominic Vogt, Redmond WA (dvogt@yahoo.com)

KM Leung
July 8th, 2008 - 08:17

I was in great shock when I learnt that Prof Lasjaunias has left us.
He was a great teacher to many of us. I was deeply impressed by his enthusiasm in teaching and his style of lecturing.
He had the unique ability to make the most difficult neuroanatomy and embryology become easily understandable by his ‘blackboard drawing’.
He has planted the seeds of wisdom in our hearts, the younger generation of neurosurgeons and neuroradiologist.
He will live on in our hearts, in every patient that we treat with the knowledge and philosophy that he has taught us…

michèle Braff-chemoul
July 8th, 2008 - 13:31

ayant appris soudainement le décès du professeur LASJAUNIAS , nous avons été dans le désarroi le plus profond ! le 10 juillet ,le professeur devait intervenir pour la 5ème fois pour une embolisation auprès de notre petitfils agé de 9 ans.Quelle perte pour la medecine internationnale ! mais surtout quelle perte au niveau humain !il avait su ,en termes simples,parler à l’enfant et lui expliquer ce dont il souffrait ….nous ne l’oublierons jamais !

Dr Donatella Tampieri
July 9th, 2008 - 11:00

We express our deepest sympathy to the family in this tragic hour of Dr Lasjaunias passing.
Dr Lasjaunias was a fantastic teacher. We all have lost a friend and a mentor that we will never forget

Dr Donatella Tampieri
Dr Denis Melanson
Dr Maria Cortes

Julian Phillips
July 9th, 2008 - 15:59

Our profound sympathies to Mrs Lajaunias and family. Prof Pierre treated our daughter Mud (spinal avm). He gave us professional advice and personal sympathy and the total confidence that no matter how desperate her condition she was in the right hands. He was a great man.

Julian Phillips
Kate Stewart Phillips
Wales

Mara Carletti
July 10th, 2008 - 05:28

It is unacceptable to me realizing I can nomore hear his voice, receive his suggestions, meet him at the conferences. Being involved in the organisation of the meetings of Neuroradiology I could closely work with him. I could see how much deep passion and devotion he worked with, aiming the best quality of the scientific contents as well as lecturing at the highest level.
I am now shocked and disoriented but aware he left an extraordinary sign and a track to be followed.

Mara Carletti
Italy

michaela vavrova
July 15th, 2008 - 14:52

I have heard the news.It was shocking to me. I am one of his students attending his course at Chiangmai. He was a great teacher, we will always miss him.My sympathies to Ms. Lasjaunias and the family.
Michaela Vavrova, Czech Republic

Iruena Kessler
July 17th, 2008 - 16:53

I am deeply saddened by the news of prof. lasjaunias untimely death. He was a man of great insight , scientific importance and personality. His death is a great loss.
My sincere compassion to his family.

Iruena Kessler
Neurological surgery
University of Brasilia Brazil

Louis Trupia
July 27th, 2008 - 17:49

I am 12 years old and Prof Lasjaunias helped me so much by embolising my vein of galen malformation on five different occasions, since I was 6 years old. It is a great loss to the world and he will never be forgotten in my life. I feel privileged that I was his patient, and he was always so kind to me. Rest in peace x

Carlos Castaño
August 1st, 2008 - 06:50

I had the opportunity to know the Proffesor Lasjaunias and his family, and learn in his service for several months. He was a great teacher and a good friend for me. His teaching and his books help me to understand the anatomy and when and how treat of complex vascular pathologies, but the most important he changes my mind, in order to be more critical and more scientific. When I wrote my Interventional Neuroradiology book, I had a great support from him, in special in paediatrics chapters. I’m very thankful.
We lost a genius, a teacher, a friend, but he and his teachings will remain always in our hearts and our minds and he will never be forgotten.
Now we have the obligation to continue with his baton.

Dr. Carlos Castaño.
Chief of Interventional Neurorradiology Unit.
Universitary Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol.
Barcelona. Spain.

Ernesto E. Di Iorio
August 20th, 2008 - 05:40

I’m not an neurologist, nor am I an MD, this is why I got to know only now of the death of Pierre Lasjaunias. I’ve seen him only once, few years ago at a meeting in Piemonte. I had to discuss with him about a girl who needed his help. I was deeply impressed by his humanity and – of course – by his competence: a real GREAT MAN. During the session of the meeting that I attended, I noticed how deeply respected he was by ALL his colleagues, a rare event at medical meetings! Needless to say, Pierre Lasjaunias has greatly helped the girl who needed his intervention and I’ll never forget how kind he was in that occasion.
The death of Pierre Lasjaunias is an immense lost for all. I express my deepest sorrow to his family and to the scientific community.
Ernesto E. Di Iorio
Institute of Biochemistry
ETH – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Zurich, Switzerland

Francesca Caraffa
August 21st, 2008 - 14:12

Mi chiamo Francesca sono una ragazzina italiana di 14 anni, voglio unirmi al dolore per la perdita di una persona a mè cara.Ho avuto modo di conoscere lo Chef a Parigi nel 2003, mi ha salvata da un brutto angioma celebrale, ha effettuato su di me due embolizzazioni……gli devo tanto.Dovevo tornare quest’anno da lui ma purtroppo qualcosa di più grande l’ha portato via.Resterà per sempre nei nostri cuori.

fernanda d'ambrogio
October 15th, 2008 - 17:02

Abbiamo conosciuto il Prof. Lasjaunias in occasione della malattia – malformazione della vena di galeno- di nostro figlio Daniele nel 2001: oggi se nostro figlio è vivo lo dobbiamo unicamente a Lui e gliene saremo grati per sempre.Un grande uomo, un eccellente professionista, ma una persona semplice e piena d’amore. E’con ritardo che abbiamo appreso la ferale notizia della sua dipartita e con dolore immenso ne prendiamo atto. Preghiamo per Lui, benedicendolo per tutto il bene che ha fatto in questo mondo.

Temor Yosofzay (Holland)
October 20th, 2008 - 10:21

I pay my deepest condolences to his family (wife and daughters). He was a great man and helped my family out a lot this year because of my sisters’ AVM diagnoses. I pray for him and wish his family all the strenght needed.

Jason Spicer (England)
November 2nd, 2008 - 09:31

I have just learned of the incredibly sad loss of Prof Lasjaunias. Pierre treated my son Adam 3 times in the late 1990′s and early 2000. He managed to stabilise our son’s condition and we have no doubt that our sons quality of life would not be the same had it not been for this incredible man. Being almost completely non French speaking parents of a seriously ill son, he afforded us such compassion and humility and took time to reaasure a scared 10 year old boy, in a strange country, of his up coming procedure. Words fail me of this loss and our deepest sympathies albeit, late go to his widow and daughters. A truly great human being from whom we could all learn from both professionally and personally. Rest in peace and many thanks once again.

Alethea
November 3rd, 2008 - 03:10

Thanks to all for even your later testimonies. I will send them on as well to the family. Having been through a mourning period myself, it is never to late to hear how much your loved one meant to other people.

Naomi Vuurens-Plazier
November 6th, 2008 - 10:43

Dear family, friends and colleages of Prof. Lasjaunias.
I was shocked to read that professor Lasjaunias has died. For this my deepest sympathy from me and my family.
Professor Lasjaunias has treated my son Stijn Beck two years ago (he is now 5 years old). He saved his life multiple times. Without the intervenience of the professor Stijn would surtainly have died, the doctors in Holland couldn’t save him. We haven been hospitalized in Kremlin Bicetre for weeks and Stijn has had 8 operations over a period of 1,5 year. His last operation was almost 2 years ago. We had a warm band with the professor and he was always available for us. I’m deeply shocked that this loving man died while he was so needed.
I will never forget the man who saved my son, words cannot describe what someone means to you when that someone saves the life of your child.
I cannot believe that he man who saved so many lives, never will have the chance to enjoy his life with his family for much longer.
This is such a big loss, unbelievable.
Rest in peace dear professor, we will miss you deeply.

Akka
December 2nd, 2008 - 15:03

Pierre Lasjaunias gives us back our Stijn (above) and we are impressed : our daughter told us what a great man he was ,we are sure that he has a chair in heaven .To lose such a man is unbelievable. We all are in shock.We hope his family knows tha