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The Gary P. Wratten surgical symposium and the Leonard D. Heaton oration
THE GARY P. WRATTEN SURGICAL SYMPOSIUM The Gary P. Wratten Surgical Symposium and the Leonard D. Heaton Oration Originally known as “Current Problems in Surgery,” the symposium was renamed in 1967 to honor Major Gary P. Wratten, MC, USA. The symposium was discontinued in 1974 for a variety of reasons. Several attempts were made to revive this program. “After a five year hiatus, the Gary P. Wratten Surgical Symposium was reinstated and held at Walter Reed Army Medical Center 16 –18 May 1979. . . . Colonel Richard M. Hirata, MC, Chief, General Surgery Service Walter Reed Army Medical Center, who is also an Associate Professor of Surgery, and Chief, Division of General Surgery in the new Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Colonel Daniel Rosenthal, MC, Assistant Chief, General Surgery Service, Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Surgery at USUHS provided the leadership and direction for the important revival. . . . With approximately 200 in attendance, both civilian and military, the efforts . . . were highly successful. . . . The valuable exchange between civilian and military surgeons was again obvious. At a time when there are serious shortages of physicians in military medicine and surgery, this exchange demonstrates to the civilian community that there are challenging opportunities in military medicine and surgery, and that important contributions continue to be made by military surgeons in hospitals of all sizes in a variety of locations from Hawaii to Germany.”1 This excerpt from Military Medicine exemplifies the spirit of the conference. While the symposium has become a forum for resident research over the past few years, special emphasis has been placed on involving the MEDDAC (community hospital) surgeon. This has taken place via a variety of clinical and operational updates and presentations. In addition, the location of the conference is determined on an annual basis to take advantage of the global nature of Army surgical training. This year the symposium took place May 5th to May 7th at Ft. Lewis (Tacoma, WA) and was sponsored by Madigan Army Medical Center and the U.S.Army Medical Command. The year 1979 also marked the first Leonard Heaton Oration. This lecture honors Lieutenant General Leonard D. Heaton, the US Army Surgeon General from 1959 to 1970, who was instrumental in the founding of the Army surgical residency program.
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“In 1940, he was ordered to Hawaii as Chief of Surgery at Schofield Barracks. His outstanding performance in caring for casualties during the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 won him a special citation, and he was later awarded the Legion of Merit Medal. The excellent results obtained by his surgical teams were due to his adhering to the principles of combat surgery and by his innovative use of sulfonamide powder in abdominal and extremity wounds. . . . After the War’s end, Dr. Heaton was assigned to Letterman General Hospital as Chief of Surgery. . . . [W]ith Dr. Carlton Matthewson . . . they . . . formatted a surgical training program. . . . [I]n 1948, [Dr. Heaton] was promoted to Brigadier General, and was allowed to continue to practice surgery. In 1953, he was asked to assume command of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Despite administrative responsibilities, he continued his practice of surgery and played a key role in the surgical training program. He was the first Surgeon General to receive the three-star rank. Dr. Heaton retired . . . after 43 years of active military service, and then devoted himself to the establishment of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.”2 With such surgical leaders as Drs. John Braasch, R. Peter Altman, Wallace P. Richie, David Skinner, and George D. Zuidema as Visiting Professors to the symposium, it seemed fitting that Dr. Robert M. Zollinger deliver the first Leonard D. Heaton Distinguished Oration. His lecture was entitled “Observations on Gastric Surgery.” The Leonard D. Heaton Distinguished Professor Lecture Series was founded by and has been cosponsored by the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Over the years the symposium has been honored to have the following individuals as Heaton Orators: 1979. Robert M. Zollinger, MD: Observations on Gastric Surgery 1980. Richard H. Egdahl, MD, PhD: Endocrine Surgery 1981. Oliver H. Beahrs, MD, MS: Anterior Resection of the Rectum 1982. LeSalle D. LeFall, Jr, MD: Soft Part Sarcomas
Published 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc.
0149-7944/99/$20.00 PII S0149-7944(99)00162-2
1983. Carl D. Hughes, MD, MG(ret): Vascular Surgery in Korea—Historical Perspectives
1996. Alden Harken, MD: Anyone Can Manage an Arrhythmia
1984. Thomas J. Whelan, Jr, MD, BG(ret): Our Surgical Heritage 1985. Joe B. Aust, MD, MS, PhD: Hemicorporectomy Revisited 1986. George D. Zuidema, MD: Trends in Surgical Care, Education and Research: Implications for Military Surgeons
1997. Tom R. DeMeester, MD: New Concepts in the Pathophysiology and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
1987. Ben Eisman, MD: Military Medicine: New Responsibilities, New Challenges
1998. Katherine D. Anderson, MD: Esophageal Replacement
1988. C. Everett Koop, MD, DMS, LLD, LHD, VADM, USPHS, The Surgeon General: AIDS
1999. Walter Pories, MD, COL(ret) USAR: Why Do Some Surgeons Fail?
1989. Donald D. Trunkey, MD: The Role of the Military in Civilian Trauma Care
In closing, the symposium owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Pories. He was not only our 21st Heaton Orator, but through his efforts we have been able to establish a relationship with Current Surgery that we hope will be long lasting.
1990. Thomas D. Starzl, MD, PhD: Personal Perspectives in the Development of Liver Transplantation 1991. Jack W. McAnnich, MD, COL, MC, USAR: The Scope of Urogenital Trauma
KENNETH S. AZAROW, MD, LTC, MC Department of Surgery Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Madigan Army Medical Center Tacoma, Washington
1992. Norman M. Rich, MD: Leonard D. Heaton and Military Surgery 1993. F. William Blaisdell, MD: Surgical Advances During the American Civil War 1994. Joseph Civetta, MD: Managing to Care Under Managed Care 1995. Victor Garcia, MD, COL(ret): Updates in Pediatric Surgery
CURRENT SURGERY
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REFERENCES 1. Rich NM. The Gary P. Wratten Surgical Symposium. Mil Med 1980; 145:59. 2. Cohen A. In memoriam: Leonard Dudley Heaton. Am J Surg 1984; 148:177.
Volume 56 / Numbers 7/8 • September/October 1999
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“In 1940, he was ordered to Hawaii as Chief of Surgery at Schofield Barracks. His outstanding performance in caring for casualties during the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 won him a special citation, and he was later awarded the Legion of Merit Medal. The excellent results obtained by his surgical teams were due to his adhering to the principles of combat surgery and by his innovative use of sulfonamide powder in abdominal and extremity wounds. . . . After the War’s end, Dr. Heaton was assigned to Letterman General Hospital as Chief of Surgery. . . . [W]ith Dr. Carlton Matthewson . . . they . . . formatted a surgical training program. . . . [I]n 1948, [Dr. Heaton] was promoted to Brigadier General, and was allowed to continue to practice surgery. In 1953, he was asked to assume command of Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Despite administrative responsibilities, he continued his practice of surgery and played a key role in the surgical training program. He was the first Surgeon General to receive the three-star rank. Dr. Heaton retired . . . after 43 years of active military service, and then devoted himself to the establishment of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.”2 With such surgical leaders as Drs. John Braasch, R. Peter Altman, Wallace P. Richie, David Skinner, and George D. Zuidema as Visiting Professors to the symposium, it seemed fitting that Dr. Robert M. Zollinger deliver the first Leonard D. Heaton Distinguished Oration. His lecture was entitled “Observations on Gastric Surgery.” The Leonard D. Heaton Distinguished Professor Lecture Series was founded by and has been cosponsored by the Department of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Over the years the symposium has been honored to have the following individuals as Heaton Orators: 1979. Robert M. Zollinger, MD: Observations on Gastric Surgery 1980. Richard H. Egdahl, MD, PhD: Endocrine Surgery 1981. Oliver H. Beahrs, MD, MS: Anterior Resection of the Rectum 1982. LeSalle D. LeFall, Jr, MD: Soft Part Sarcomas
Published 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc.
0149-7944/99/$20.00 PII S0149-7944(99)00162-2
1983. Carl D. Hughes, MD, MG(ret): Vascular Surgery in Korea—Historical Perspectives
1996. Alden Harken, MD: Anyone Can Manage an Arrhythmia
1984. Thomas J. Whelan, Jr, MD, BG(ret): Our Surgical Heritage 1985. Joe B. Aust, MD, MS, PhD: Hemicorporectomy Revisited 1986. George D. Zuidema, MD: Trends in Surgical Care, Education and Research: Implications for Military Surgeons
1997. Tom R. DeMeester, MD: New Concepts in the Pathophysiology and Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
1987. Ben Eisman, MD: Military Medicine: New Responsibilities, New Challenges
1998. Katherine D. Anderson, MD: Esophageal Replacement
1988. C. Everett Koop, MD, DMS, LLD, LHD, VADM, USPHS, The Surgeon General: AIDS
1999. Walter Pories, MD, COL(ret) USAR: Why Do Some Surgeons Fail?
1989. Donald D. Trunkey, MD: The Role of the Military in Civilian Trauma Care
In closing, the symposium owes a debt of gratitude to Dr. Pories. He was not only our 21st Heaton Orator, but through his efforts we have been able to establish a relationship with Current Surgery that we hope will be long lasting.
1990. Thomas D. Starzl, MD, PhD: Personal Perspectives in the Development of Liver Transplantation 1991. Jack W. McAnnich, MD, COL, MC, USAR: The Scope of Urogenital Trauma
KENNETH S. AZAROW, MD, LTC, MC Department of Surgery Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and Madigan Army Medical Center Tacoma, Washington
1992. Norman M. Rich, MD: Leonard D. Heaton and Military Surgery 1993. F. William Blaisdell, MD: Surgical Advances During the American Civil War 1994. Joseph Civetta, MD: Managing to Care Under Managed Care 1995. Victor Garcia, MD, COL(ret): Updates in Pediatric Surgery
CURRENT SURGERY
•
REFERENCES 1. Rich NM. The Gary P. Wratten Surgical Symposium. Mil Med 1980; 145:59. 2. Cohen A. In memoriam: Leonard Dudley Heaton. Am J Surg 1984; 148:177.
Volume 56 / Numbers 7/8 • September/October 1999
409