At this year’s IVEC 2006 meeting, Professor Roger Greenhalgh paid a fitting tribute to Professor Edmondo Malan. He began by stating that although many years have passed since he died (January 1978 at the age of 68 years), “the memory of him is still very present in the hearts of his relatives, friends and those colleagues and students who were fortunate to have known him and who have continued his mission.”
As a University Professor, Professor Malan lived as a ‘Prince’ in an academic world, which in the seventies underwent a transformation, which changed it radically. This revolution caused him moments of awe and dismay yet he was always able to interpret the role of the University Professor with dignity, resoluteness, professionalism and competence, in those moments when they were defined ironically ‘Barons’ by certain intellectual circles.
Greenhalgh continued, “Professor Malan was a great surgeon, who at the peak of his career (which at that time was called General Surgery) had the courage to explore new approaches and to launch himself into new adventures in procedures, which were at avant-garde at that time, not only in Italy but worldwide. He was in fact a pioneer in the early years of transplants and also at the very beginning of vascular surgery. I believe that today Professor Malan would be fascinated by the profound evolution that vascular surgeons are undergoing and I am sure that he would have taken part with enthusiasm.”
Professor Malan was a very learn̬d man and was the owner of one of the most complete and prestigious private collections of antique medical manuscripts and literature. He was a man with a strong personality, endowed with an acute and brilliant mind. “I was always impressed in the operating theatre by the surgical skills of Professor Malan, and by his intuition and diagnostic capabilities at the bed-side of the patient, by his educated, quiet and reassuring manner of dealing with his colleagues, students and above all, his patients,” he added. “Professor Malan was an absolute Master of Surgery and always behaved as such towards his students. May we commemorate Professor Edmondo Malan through the scientific lectures which are dedicated to him.”
Date: Feb/2007
