Fabian Udekwu

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Fabian Anene Ositadimma Udekwu M.D. (1928 – 17 November 2006) was a medical doctor, cardiac surgeon, distinguished professor of surgery at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and a pioneer of open heart surgery in Africa.

Education

Prof. Udekwu was born in Enugu-Agidi, Anambra State, Nigeria. He attended St. Charles Teachers Training College Onitsha where he was retained as a faculty member after graduation in 1947, teaching mathematics and geography.[1] In 1950 he proceeded to the United States for further studies. Here he attended the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, graduating as a medical doctor in 1957 and specializing in general cardiac and thoracic surgery in 1964.[2][3] Udekwu was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the West African College of Surgeons.[4]

Career

Udekwu served as a military surgeon in Enugu during the Nigeria-Biafra war.[5] He was also the secretary to the Biafran Relief and Rehabilitation Association during the war.[6] Later Udekwu was distinguished professor and head of department of surgery of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He was one of the pioneers that established cardiac surgery in Nigeria.[7] Professor Udekwu was in the team of surgeons that performed the first successful open heart surgery in Nigeria in 1974.[8] Also in the team of surgeons that performed this landmark operation were Professor Sir Magdi Yacoub, Professors Anyanwu C.H., Nwafor D.C., the anesthesiologist Dr. Shreeniwas Jawalekar and others.[9][10][11] This was followed by a series of six further successful open heart surgeries under Udekwu at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital Enugu (UNTH) between 1974 and 1980.[12]

Private life

Udekwu was an avid sportsman, playing football and tennis throughout his life. He was a member of the Enugu Sports Club. He also played music as a hobby attaining notability as the organist and choirmaster at the Holy Ghost Cathedral Enugu. On the 28 April 1956 Udekwu was married to Miss Anna Brita Bystrom. The marriage was blessed with ten children.[13]

Publications

  • A Medical Holiday in Nigeria. Udekwu, F. A., Lambie, R. S.; Canadian Medical Association Journal. 1965 Aug 14.
  • Pancreatic Pseudocyst in Children, Udekwu, F. A., Nwankonobi, F., Francis, T. I.; Journal of the International College of Surgeons. 1965 Aug 01.
  • Pulmonary aspergilloma: report of two cases from Nigeria. Anyanwu, C. H., Suseelan, A. V., Gugnani, H. C., Udekwu, F. A.; Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 1982 Aug 01.
  • Determination of total body water with tritium oxide, FAO Udekwu, PD Kozoll, KA Meyer - Journal of nuclear Medicine, 1963
  • Aneurysm of the left pulmonary artery with hemoptysis and bronchial obstruction, Fabian A.O. Udekwu, Cesar A. Cabre L.M.C., S.K. Sen. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. Vol. 50, No 5, Nov., 1965.
  • Initial experience with open-heart surgery in Nigeria, Anyanwu CH, Ihenacho HNC, Okoroma EO, Nwafo DC, Umeh BU, Okechukwu CC, Udekwu FA. Cardiologie Tropicale, Tropical Cardiology 1982;8:123–7.

Notes

  1. ↑ Jacob Ukeje Agwu ( 1925-2008 ) A Brief History of His Life, biographical article, Nigeriamasterweb, retrieved 27 June 2013
  2. ↑ Udekwu, Fabian MD, Thoracic Surgery Maywood , IL, Doximity website, retrieved 27 June 2013
  3. ↑ Udekwu, Fabian A.O. ,medicineonline retrieved 27 June 2013
  4. ↑ List of Fellows, West African College of Surgeons, Number 122, retrieved 27 June 2013
  5. ↑ BIAFRA / KRIEGSOPFER; Verlorene Unschuld, Der Spiegel (German), published 8 December 1969, retrieved 27 June 2013
  6. ↑ News article on Biafra, The Saturday Review, May 3, 1969, p. 21, retrieved 28 June 2013
  7. ↑ SURGERY IN NIGERIA: The Will and The Way, FACULTY LECTURE DELIVERED TO FACULTY OF SURGERY NATIONAL POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL COLLEGE ON 16 SEPTEMBER 1988 By Professor E. A. Elebute
  8. ↑ John C. Eze, Ndubueze Ezemba ,Open-Heart Surgery in Nigeria Indications and Challenges, Tex Heart Inst J. 2007; 34(1): 8–10.
  9. ↑ Arthur Brooks, Africa Arrival Nigerian Days..Daze!!!, (memoir), published 5 May 2012, retrieved 27 June 2013
  10. ↑ Shreeniwas Jawalekar, Open Drops To Open Hearts!: Journey of an Anesthesiologist from India to America (memoir), Published 8 April 2010 by Outskirts Press, pp.61-64
  11. ↑ J Nwiloh, S Edaigbini, S Danbauchi, I Babaniyi, M Aminu, Y Adamu, A Oyati, Cardiac surgical experience in northern Nigeria Cardiovascular Journal of Africa • Vol 23, No 8, September 2012
  12. ↑ S.O. Michael, Chronicles of Medical Hisory in Africa; Pioneers of Heart Surgery from Aristotle to Grillo, Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine Vol. 7 No.2 December, 2009
  13. ↑ Science & Medicine; Nigerian Achievers in Medicine, The Achebe Colloquium, 17 July 2006 by ACHEBE FOUNDATION

External links

Obituary notice for Prof. F.A.O. Udekwu

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