In Memoriam David B. Skinner
28-04-1935 – 24-01-2003
On the 24th of January 2003 the surgical world lost one of its great leaders. Professor David Bernt Skinner died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 67 – much too early. David Skinner was born in Joliet, Illinois, on April 28th 1935. Gifted with an extraordinary intelligence as well as an extraordinary memory, he obtained his medical degree cum laude at Yale University in 1959 and became a resident in surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital Boston where he trained under E. Churchill, a pioneer thoracic surgeon.
From 1963 to 1964 he was Ronald Belsey's senior registrar in Thoracic and Cardiac Surgery at Frenchay Hospital, Bristol, UK, a training period that would mark his further career profoundly.
Back in the States he soon became Professor of Surgery and Chief of Thoracic Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, where he joined a remarkable brand of surgical leaders who would strongly influence an entire generation of surgeons both inside and outside the US.
At the age of 37, David Skinner was appointed as the Dallas B Phemister Professor of Surgery and Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Chicago Hospitals, Pritzker School of Medicine.
In this capacity he soon began recruiting an outstanding faculty, forging his department into a preeminent centre of excellence.
During his 15 years tenure of office in Chicago, David Skinner reached full maturity both as a surgeon and scientist.
He was a master surgeon and made significant contributions in a number of clinical areas particularly in the field of esophageal surgery, the latter very much as a consequence of his special relation with his mentor Ronald Belsey. Already at the time of his training period in Bristol, together they had published a number of landmark papers, in particular on the long term results of the Mark IV antireflux procedure.
Skinner also developed the concept of an en bloc resection for cancer of the esophagus and gastro-esophageal junction proving that, provided correct indication, the natural course of this dreadful disease could be influenced by surgery, even in the presence of regional lymph node metastasis.
Together with Tom De Meester he set up an esophageal and an experimental lab that rapidly gained an international reputation attracting surgeons from all over the world. All those who trained with him were impressed by his energy, his creative enthusiasm for new ideas and practical insights into both clinical and research problems. By doing so Skinner proved that it was possible to be both a surgeon and a scientist, to operate to a high standard and above all to bridge the gap between the operating theatre and the laboratory.
During this period Skinner and his group contributed, through dozens of publications,
to our understanding of esophageal pathophysiology, profoundly influencing the thinking of a whole generation of dedicated esophageal surgeons.
He was greatly admired by his surgical residents and was viewed as an outstanding doctor and visionary teacher. Realising the enormous impact of Belsey on esophageal surgery, he recruited Belsey as visiting professor after retirement from the National Health Service. For many years numerous residents enjoyed the wisdom of the great master.
I too, through Belsey's influence, was able to witness the unique atmosphere in Skinner's department in the early eighties. Skinner was a master surgeon. He saw his profession as a vocation, not as a job. I recall Skinner inviting J. Folkman to give a lecture on angiogenesis, which at that time, in 1982, was a subject totally unknown to the majority of the medical community. Few people then realised the potential of Folkman's work. But Skinner did, just one example of his visionary insight.
Skinner's career took a seemingly totally different course when he became appointed as the President/CEO of the New York Hospital, Cornell University. This prestigious and second oldest Hospital in the US, had run into deep financial trouble. Skinner saw it as the ultimate challenge in his career to turn the huge losses into a profit, but again as always guaranteeing top quality medicine as the priority. With his typical no nonsense approach, it took him only a few years to reach this goal and in addition build a brand new hospital. Threatened by managed care policies, he then started to build out a healthcare network that profoundly influenced New York healthcare and finally resulted in a successful merger with the Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University. The crown on his work.
It was my privilege to invite him as the Honoured Guest Lecturer during my presidency of EACTS in Prague 1996. His lecture was entitled: Implications of United States Healthcare Reforms for European Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. With this lecture he stimulated Europe's cardio-thoracic surgeons to reflect on their role as surgical leaders in the changing landscape of Europe's healthcare economies.
For his work David Skinner was awarded many honours, medals and prizes, all over the world. He functioned as a president of many societies including the Society of University Surgeons, the American Association of Thoracic Surgery, the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus. He was a member of an impressive number of societies and editorial boards. He was awarded numerous honorary memberships including those of EACTS and the European Surgical Association. He was awarded an honorary doctorate at three international universities.
But despite all these honours and all this fame Skinner remained a humble and warm person. He always had a friendly word for everybody: the person at the reception desk, the cleaner, the nurse, the secretary, the resident, his colleagues of the Faculty. He was an optimist by nature. His daily joyful and resonant "Good Morning" was legendary. He had a delightful sense of humour and enjoyed the good things of life.
He was also very much engaged in society life, e.g. the community of his parish church, the New York City Fire Brigade of which he was the Honorary Medical Officer (he was very proud to show his visitors a small copy model of the fire engine of New York City fire brigade on the chimney of his apartment).
David Skinner was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. His pride were "his women": his wife Ellie, his partner and best friend for life, his four daughters Linda, Clarissa, Kristin, Margaret and his late mother-in-law who lived with the family for almost 25 years. He always claimed that before every important decision in his career he first would consult his women.
In their summerhouse in Sawyer near the border of Lake Michigan, David took great pleasure in the very simple things of life; a walk down to the lake, a swim, setting up the barbecue and grilling the perfect steak, a chat with people at the barbershop, a beer at the Sawyer bar or proudly watching his grandson Christopher playing "the human cannonball". At home in New York enjoying an opera performance at the New York Metropolitan, a fine dinner with a great wine…
His honesty and integrity set the standard for all those who were fortunate to work with him. The surgical community has lost a great leader and both my wife and I have lost a dear friend. David, my heart is painfully empty while writing these lines. You looked always for the best in others; you always gave the best you had.
I know that so many of us who had the privilege to share your goals and ideas will stand on your shoulders to make sure that your dream will live forever.
I would like to close by presenting the condolences of the entire EACTS community to Mrs. Skinner and family.
Toni Lerut
EACTS past President
