Abstract
John J. Bergan, MD FACS FACPh FRCS Hon. (Eng.)
4 April 1927 to 11 June 2014
Dr. John Bergan passed away on 11 June 2014. With his death, the vascular world lost one of its brightest luminaries. A rare man of exceptional qualities, Dr. Bergan was like a star: he brightened the sky, showed the way to new heights and generated appreciation and awe in those who encountered him. He was an inspiring leader, a dedicated educator, a visionary innovator, a superb editor, a prolific author and an eloquent speaker. John Bergan was the ultimate professional and a true gentleman. He had a friendly and charming personality; his hand tied bow tie and smile will live long in the memory of those who had the privilege to meet him.
After a surgical residency at Chicago Wesley Memorial Hospital he spent three decades at Northwestern University Medical School, dedicating his life to the practice, teaching and research in transplantation and vascular surgery. At Northwestern, along with Dr. James Yao, he established a premiere fellowship program and one of the country’s best annual educational courses in vascular surgery. In 1989, he moved to Southern California to lead a dedicated venous practice, focusing on clinical and basic research.
Dr. Bergan established several vascular societies, including the Midwestern Vascular Surgery Society and the American Venous Forum. He served as President of the Society for Vascular Surgery, the American Venous Forum, American Venous Forum Foundation, Midwestern Vascular Surgical Society, European-American Venous Symposium, Gulf Coast Vascular Society, Chicago Surgical Society, Lymphedema Association of North America, and Southern California Vascular Surgical Society. He was President Elect of the American College of Phlebology.
A world-renowned expert in venous and lymphatic diseases, he will long be remembered for his many legendary contributions to vascular surgery and phlebology. Dr. Bergan authored and co-authored more than 750 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, scientific reports, editorials, and book chapters and he was editor or co-editor of over 35 books. He was an early adopter of new technology in communication. He founded the Venous Digest, a monthly newsletter containing abstracts and commentaries delivered by email, and in 1998 established the International Venous Digest, which was translated into nine languages and delivered via fax to vascular surgeons and phlebologists worldwide. His principal academic contribution, The Vein Book, now in its 2nd edition, is one of the best publications on venous disorders available today.
Dr. Bergan was a persuasive speaker and a brilliant moderator. Panels and debates he chaired were always a pleasure to attend for both the listeners and the participants, no matter on which side you stood. His ability to recognize new discoveries and predict the direction that technology and practice was heading was unique. He embraced evolving treatments with amazing speed and promoted new ideas and technology with great authority and experience.
John was an inspiring mentor, remembered by his students as the “velvet tongue” of vascular surgical education, who taught them all they needed for reviewing, publishing and discussing their surgical results. He was a consensus builder who could motivate an international group of experts, with a unique ability to persuade even the busiest authors to contribute with commentaries, manuscripts and book chapters on his suggested topic. He worked hard and loved editing important and cutting edge information from foreign experts, even if they were written in less than satisfactory English.
Dr. Bergan was inspired by “interested young physicians” and believed “there is a great need to provide resources for the next generation of phlebologists.” It is no surprise that he established the first Phlebology Fellowship in the United States at UCSD.
Dr. Bergan influenced the international vascular field in so many areas that it is impossible to list them all. His contributions spanned from foam sclerotherapy to a new anatomic terminology of veins to classification of chronic venous disease, and from the importance of neovascularization to the use of duplex ultrasound in the evaluation and treatment of venous disorders.
Dr. Bergan studied the past, understood the present, and investigated and illuminated the way for the future. He had firm opinions, but was always willing to change in the interest of progress. John Bergan was virtually always ahead of his time.
Dr. Bergan was known to compare the status of venous disease to that of Cinderella. He played a unique and critical role in bringing venous disease into its current golden age, in bringing Cinderella to the ball.
His patients, students, colleagues and friends will miss him more than words can express.