Pierre Lasjaunias
I am inexpressibly saddened to write about the sudden, unexpected death of a cherished colleague, Professor Pierre Lasjaunias. A mutual friend telephoned this evening to tell me about his death from a series of heart attacks. I don’t know how old he was – under 60, in any case. I do know he has three lovely teenage daughters, one of whom at least loves riding horses and the other came to Val d’Isere to go skiing during the ABC-WIN annual conference.
I can not write a proper eulogy, but just say how much respect and admiration I had for his passion for teaching, and his equal passion for healing. He was an extraordinarily gifted interventional neuroradiologist. He has saved the lives of countless children around the world, both directly, and by his insistence on educating young doctors in Southeast Asia, in particular. Pierre was also a fabulous artist. He could draw the cephalic vasculature in sagittal section and then show you the aneurysm from an angle rotated 60 degrees to the right. He illustrated all of his own books. Pierre brought me in contact with a great number of estimable colleagues and I will miss him in my own way. Painfully and sometime later, in resignation.
Posted on Thursday, July 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 pm Categorized as:general science, personal You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
July 4th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
My sympathies. I also lost a colleague (and mentor) not so very long ago. This is difficult, but take strength from other mutual acquaintances.
July 4th, 2008 at 5:18 pm
, 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
July 4th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
Certainly the Neuroscience world is in mourning.
Gustavo Andrade
Interventional Radiologist
Recife-PE
Brazil
http://www.angiorad.com.br
July 4th, 2008 at 6:46 pm
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….
July 5th, 2008 at 5:54 am
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
July 5th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
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.
July 7th, 2008 at 12:20 am
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.
July 7th, 2008 at 2:24 am
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):
July 7th, 2008 at 3:12 am
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.
July 7th, 2008 at 10:04 am
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.
July 8th, 2008 at 4:09 am
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)
July 8th, 2008 at 5:09 am
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)
July 8th, 2008 at 8:17 am
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…
July 8th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
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 !
July 9th, 2008 at 11:00 am
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
July 9th, 2008 at 3:59 pm
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
July 10th, 2008 at 5:28 am
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
July 15th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
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
July 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
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
July 27th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
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
August 1st, 2008 at 6:50 am
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.
August 20th, 2008 at 5:40 am
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
August 21st, 2008 at 2:12 pm
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.
October 15th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
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.
October 20th, 2008 at 10:21 am
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.
November 2nd, 2008 at 9:31 am
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.
November 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 am
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.
November 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
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.
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:03 pm
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 that we bow for him and hope they can live with their sadness. Deepest sympathies.
February 21st, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Dear family…
We are also very shocked to hear that Dr.Lasjaunias died. He saved our sons live by treating him nine times…
Lex (our son) has a long way to go, but because of dr.Lasjaunias we do have a way to go…and we are very greatfull for that.
We know that we can’t take the pain away for his beloveds , but we want them to know that we are honored to met a man like him…..
March 29th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
Dear Family and friends,
We have just been noticed today on this great loss to humanity. Pr. Lasjaunias will always be in our heart.
Never in my life I had a chance to meet such a great person with so much contribution to health science, and in such a pleasant way and without any difference, who you are and were you came from, all treated equally and it the best way.
Pr. Lasjaunias and his team has treated our son Jonathan twice once at the age of 8 months old and once again at the age of 2 years after a Vain of Galen malformation was diagnosed in our son brain.
Jonathan is laughing, singing, dancing and running and doing fine, so that no one really believe he ever had this problem in his brain sand it is all thanks to the great treatment we received from the Pr. Lasjaunias and his team.
We hold great honor to the professor and his team.
We whish the family all the great in the world under this sad circumstances and having it hard to add additional words we are sure they had a great husband and father.
With much sorry for the great loss,
Avital Family, Israel
June 18th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I am deeply shocked by the death of such a talented and humane person. Prof Lasjaunias was an incredibly gifted doctor. I have spinal AVM and he treated me 4 times and gave me back my life to go on working and living. His loss is moaned not only by his family, to whom I send my deepest condolences, but also by his patients. I am sure he has gone to heaven and his legacy will live on. May he rest in peace.x
June 21st, 2009 at 11:23 am
Nous ne sommes que parents d’une enfant atteinte d’une impressionnante malformation des sinus duraux, et n’avons été au courant de la perte de Pierre Lasjaunias il y a seulement deux mois. Cela nous a incroyablement touché, pensant avant cela avoir le temps de le remercicier convenablement pour avoir sauvé la vie d’Alyssia, alors agée de cinq mois.
Nous ne savions pas à l’époque que ce Monsieur été un homme si grand bien qu’en le rencontrant deux fois dix minutes en janvier 2008 nous comprimes que ce professeur été non seulement un excellent neurochirurgien mais surtout un homme Humain.
Nous avons une pensée très forte pour sa femme et se filles. Cordialement.
June 22nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
When I read on ESNR website that Prof Lasjaunias died (it was last March)I was deeply shocked and saddened, only now I am able to write.He was a unique teacher, a great scientist, a good simple man. He made thousand miles to save lives, however a short distance was not enough to save his own life. I could not tell him goodbye. It is a great loss for all our scientific community. I lost a mentor and a friend.I wish his wife and daughters strenght.
Adriana
Milan
January 10th, 2010 at 1:20 pm
bonsoir,
je suis anéantis par cette triste nouvelle, j’ai aujourd’hui 45 ans, marié et père de 4 enfants, je suis atteint d’une malformation congénitale, un angium de la face et de la gorge.
j’étais suivis depuis l’age de 13 ans par Pierre au chu de Bicetre.
il m’a sauvé la vie, la dernière fois en 1999 lors d’une des nombreuses ambolisations, j’ai eu un arrêt cardiaque et Pierre m’a sauvé.
j’ai eu la chance et le privilège de suivre tout ce qu’il a amené à la medecine depuis ses début en neurologie à bicetre.
je viens d’apprendre que maintenant cette horrible nouvelle, je suis de passage à Paris ( j’habite maintenant à Tel aviv) et je voulais dire un petit bonjour à Pierre…
mes pensées vont vers son épouse et ses enfants.
Que ton âme repose en paix.
Thierry
Tel Aviv