ALBERT LOREN

RHOTON

(NOVEMBER 18, 1932 FEBRUARY 21, 2016)

JR.

WORLD-RENOWNED NEUROSURGEON AND

PIONEERING RESEARCHER

Presentation by Elena Nestian

Dr. Albert

Rhoton was a great man, a role model

physician, teacher, scientist and leader. His surgical
skills as a preeminent neurosurgeon were amazing,
and I was fortunate to see these up close in the operating
room while anesthetizing his patients. Ever present was
his compassion for the well-being of his patients, and
the professional advancement of his students and
faculty. His leadership as chair of neurosurgery changed
the course of this medical school and pointed it
squarely on a journey to excellence. I will miss his
wisdom, shared through words and by example,
always with calmness and kindness.
Michael L. Good, M.D.
Dean of the University of Florida College of Medicine

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Albert
Rhoton
neverKentucky
forgot the important lessons he
Born in a log
cabin
in Parvin,
learned while studying to be a social worker many
Attended a two-room schoolhouse
years ago.
Flunked his fifth grade classes
Finished an undergraduate degree in social work
Social work
taught
me
the
The physiological
psychology
class
leftto
himbring
completely
captivated
by the
complexities into what I do.
element
of brains
COMPASSION
Received premedical education at The Ohio State
University
Graduated with the highest academic standing in the 1959
class at Washington University School of Medicine in St.
Louis

MEDICAL AND ACADEMIC CAREER

Worked as a staff surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota
In 1972, he joined the University of Florida as a professor and Chair
I felt like I found my place here and
of the Department of Neurological Surgery
decided to stick with it. The vision of
In 1975, he began
teaching
the evolving and
specialty of
growth
in neurosurgery
microneurosurgery
building a brain institute were
As Dr. Rhotons
accepted
reputation
by grew,
the institution
so did the
and
department
the
A division with leadership.
just two faculty members at his arrival evolved into a
department that now has 18 neurosurgeons, 13 research faculty
and 21 residents
In 2014 Dr. Rhoton was the director of the Neuro-Microanatomy Lab
at the McKnight Brain Institute

ACADEMIC CAREER
In his 27-year tenure as department chairman, he:
secured funding for 10 endowed chairs in research and
education specialties
secured multimillion-dollar funding for a professorship
that bears his name
had a key role in the development of the Evelyn F. and
William L. McKnight Brain Institute of the University of
Florida

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
University of Florida professor and chairman emeritus of the
Lillian S. Wells department of neurosurgery
President
the Congress
of Neurological
Surgeons in 1978
Heof
completed
the Millennium
and Anniversary
The CNS
Issues
of Neurosurgery
and a book entitled Cranial
Honored
Guest in 1993
Anatomy and Surgical Approaches, which has been
President
of the American Association of Neurological
translated into several languages.
Surgeons
President of the Society of Neurological Surgeons
President of the North American Skull Base Society
Elected to Honorary Membership in neurosurgical societies on
six continents

AWARDS

Author of 3 books and 498

scientific papers

UFs Distinguished Faculty Award in 1981

the Harvey Cushing Medal - the highest honor granted by the
American Association of Neurological Surgeons in 1998
the CNS Distinguished Service Award in 2004
the Founders Laurel Award in 2006
the Medal of Honor of the World Federation of Neurosurgical
Societies
named Neurosurgeon of the Year by the journal World
Neurosurgery in 2011
Alumni Achievement Award from Washington University School
of Medicine
both a Distinguished Faculty Award and a Lifetime
Achievement Award from the University of Florida

DR. RHOTON AS A MENTOR

During his more than five decade career, he trained thousands of fellows and
residents in the latest microneurosurgical techniques.
Benefited from training under dr. Rhotons guidance:

Saleem I. Abdulrauf, MD, FAANS, FACS - Professor and Chairman,

Department of Neurological Surgery Director, Saint Louis University
Center for Cerebrovascular and Skull Base Surgery
Eric Rhoton, MD - neurosurgeon in North Carolina
J. Richard Lister, MD, MBA - associate chair and professor of the College of
Medicines department of neurosurgery
Toshio Matsushima MD, PhD Chairman and Professor, Department of
Neurosurgery, Saga University, Japan
William Friedman, MD - neurosurgeon in Gainesville, Florida
Juan C. Fernandez-Miranda, MD - Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
and Associate Director, Center for Skull Base Surgery
Baran Bozkurt, MD - Cerrahpasa Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey,
Neuroanatomy Fellow, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota

DR. RHOTON AS A MENTOR

Dr.Albert Rhoton demonstrated, over and over, to all of his students and
admirers that the only limits to what we could achieve were those
He
has been
an outstanding
residents
and
limits we
placed
on ourselves.
He hasteacher
been a of
source
of inspiration
neurological
surgeons,
William
A. Friedman,
MD,
and hope
to our department,
to thesaid
world
of neurosurgery,
and
to his
who
succeeded
dr.
Rhoton
as
department
chair.
many grateful patients.
Tall and soft-spoken, Rhoton carried his medical accomplishments
with a quiet but determined demeanor. Despite having metastatic
prostate cancer, Dr. Rhoton worked in his neurosurgery laboratory
until a week before his death, mentoring neurosurgeons from around the
world and working on papers, his son, Eric Rhoton, MD, said.

DR. RHOTON AS A MENTOR

Dr. Rhoton embodied everything the CNS believes in.
He will be remembered as one of neurosurgerys greatest
educators a true leader and mentor and a kind man who
always had time for his students and colleagues.
Russell Lonser, CNS President
The opportunity to train under Dr. Rhoton at the UF College
of Medicine has been and continues to be among the most
significant personal and professional highlights of my life.
J. Richard Lister, MD, MBA,
Associate Chair and Professor of the College of Medicines
Department of Neurosurgery.

MICRONEUROSURGERY
Ive made the motto a theme of what we
do every day to improve neurosurgery, so
that our patients receive better care.

In 1975, Dr. Rhoton began to teach microneurosurgery.

His personal motto was to provide more accurate, gentle, safe
and precise ways to approach and manage neurosurgery.
His microscopic detailing of the brains network of veins and
arteries helped other neurosurgeons reach trouble spots
without damaging
delicate tissue.
I incorporated
microsurgical techniques into my
because
it appeared
to increase
the safety
As a pioneerpractice
in the field,
Rhoton
often needed
to develop
his
with which
we could
deep
and under
own neurosurgical
instruments.
Hedelve
ended
up into
working
with a
the brain,
German metallurgist to create more
than 200 devices, including
an eponymous tool for dissecting tumors.
The Rhoton name is so ubiquitous that virtually every hospital
in the world that does neurosurgery has multiple sets of his
tools.

DEVOTION TO THE PATIENT

Dr. Rhotons accomplishments were matched by his deep
concern for patients.
He shared an extraordinary passion for helping others through
medicine.
His background in social work was never a source of
embarrasement. In fact, it helped him to better understand
fear, anger and other emotions that his patients experienced.
I was particularly struck by the lasting impressions Dr.
Rhoton left on patients. Even after many years, some of
them still talk about his caring, compassionate approach.
Michael L. Good, MD, Dean of the UF College of Medicine.

THE RHOTON COLLECTION

He wanted his work in neuroscience to help someone in the
world every second of every day.
He wanted to spread safe, precise, accurate surgical techniques
around the world.
Dr. Eric Rhoton

Many of his most important lectures and techniques are posted free
on the Internet.
Also, throughout his career, Dr. Rhoton served as faculty for
countless CNS courses and sessions, using his unique 3D
neuroanatomical video and slides to educate generation after
generation of neurosurgical residents.

MEDICINE - A FAMILY PRACTICE

All of the Rhoton children followed their father into the medical field

Eric Rhoton, MD, neurosurgeon at Carolina Spine/Neurosurgery

Center
Albert Rhoton, a UF College of Medicine graduate and a
gastroenterologist in North Carolina.
Alice Rhoton-Vlasak, MD, a reproductive endocrinology specialist at
UF Health.
Laurel Rhoton-Selner, a UF College of Nursing graduate who works
at UF Health.
Eric Rhoton, who studied in his fathers department while at UF, said
neither of his parents pushed them toward the medical field.

MEDICINE - A FAMILY
PRACTICE
My dad always made us believe it was an honor and a
privilege to be in a medical profession.
Living around someone who takes inspiration from what he
does daily, its hard not to want to follow his steps.
Alice Rhoton-Vlasak

SOURCES
http://neurosurgery.ufl.edu/faculty-staff/our-faculty/albert-l-rhoton-jr-md/
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http://www.worldneurosurgery.org/article/S1878-8750(11)00131-8/abstract
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rown-mds/

HE WAS AN AWESOME,
LOVING, GENTLE MAN WHO
CHANGED THE FIELD OF
NEUROSURGERY.
ERIC RHOTON

MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE!