Richard Turner-Warwick
Richard Turner-Warwick CBE MSc, MCh (Oxon), DM.(Oxon), DSc.(Hon NY), FRCP, FRCS, FRCOG, FACS, FRACS (Hon), FACS (Hon)
Richard Turner-Warwick, now retired, but in good health, was one of the giants of British urology and is, quite literally, the Father of reconstructive urology, both nationally and internationally. A brilliant surgeon, teacher and writer, he managed to inspire a great many urologists around the world. He also restored quality of life to countless patients from many continents who had suffered traumatic or neoplastic injury to their genitals or lower urinary tract. In his honour we have organized a meeting on reconstructive urology, kindly supported by The Urology Foundation (TUF), in Glasgow on Saturday 12th October 2014, immediately in advance of the SIU meeting in the same city. This blog is designed to publicise this meeting, and also provide an opportunity for those that worked with and for Richard to post their memories and reminiscences of the great man. Please do post a comment, and also join us in Glasgow at what will certainly be an exceptional day.
LINK TO REGISTER: https://tinyurl.com/RTWmeeting
Biography
Born in 1925, Richard Turner-Warwick was educated at Bedales School – at Oxford University and at The Middlesex Hospital Medical School in London. At Oxford he took an honours degree in Natural Science.
He was captain of the Oriel College Boat Club, rowed in the 1944, 1945 Oxford Crews and won the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race in 1946 when he was President of the OUBC. His MSc thesis was on Neuro-Anatomy.
During his pre-clinical training at The Middlesex Hospital he obtained the Senior Broderip Scholarship and a number of other Medals and Prizes – qualifying in 1949. From 1949 until 1960, mostly at The Middlesex Hospital, he had an unusually extensive specialist training in internal medicine and pathology – and then in abdominal, thoracic, gynecological, and plastic surgery. He trained in urological surgery with Sir Eric Riches and with Sir David Innes Williams at the Institute of Urology in London.
He obtained his FRCS in 1954, his MRCP in 1955, his Oxford Doctorate of Medicine in 1957 and his Oxford Mastership of Surgery in 1962. He was able to visit many urological centres in America as the Comyns Berkley Travelling Fellow – becoming a Senior Resident in Urology at the Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Centre in New York. He was appointed a Consultant General Surgeon to The Middlesex Hospital in 1960 – one of six, with additional charge of the Thyroid Clinic. His outpatient assistant at this time was Deborah Doniach, the pioneer of clinical auto-immunity – her treatment of Hashimoto’s lymphadenoid goitre with thyroxine led to its shrinkage so that decompression-thyroidectomy no longer provided the control histological material she needed – it was for this purpose that he developed his trephine biopsy instrument.
He took over the Urological Department at The Middlesex Hospital when Sir Eric retired in 1963. He created a pioneering urodynamic unit as an integral part of his routine clinical service – synchonously combining video-cysto-urethrography with measurement of pressure and flow voiding dynamics.
Since about 1975 he confined his personal surgical interest and practise to Functional Reconstruction – he was additionally appointed to the staff of St Peter’s Urological Hospitals in London and also an Honorary Visiting Urological Surgeon to the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney in 1978 where he operated for three weeks each year until 1987. His main interest and reputation at that time was in reconstruction of the male urethra.
He was elected a Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1977, later serving on the Council of this and also that of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. He was President of the British Association of Urological Surgeons 1982-1984. Among his many distinctions he was given the Victor Bonney prize of the RCOG; in 1987, the Valentine Gold Medal of the New York Academy of Medicine in 1991, the Gordon Watson Medal of the RCS in 1992, the Spence Medal of the American Association of Genito-Urinary Surgeons in 1997 and the William Didusch award of the for medical art in 2002.
He was elected to FACS (Hon). in 1997, to FRACS (Hon) in 1981, to elite Fellowship of the Urological Society of Australia in 1988 the Honorary Fellowship of the American Association of Genito-Urinary Surgeons in 2002. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science in New York in 1988. During the 40 years between 1965 and 2005 he undertook more than 300 operating surgical teaching visits – mostly in America, Australia, New Zealand but also in Europe and the UK.
The Genesis of Urethral Reconstructive Surgery over the Last 50 Years
In Honour of Richard Turner-Warwick
Friday 10th – Saturday 11th October 2014
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow
LINK TO REGISTER: https://tinyurl.com/RTWmeeting
Friday 10th October
Afternoon Arrival
19:00 Dinner – with reflections by attendees
Royal College of Surgeons & Physicians, Glasgow
Saturday 11th October
09:00 Welcome and Introduction
Christopher Chapple & Roger Kirby
09.05 A Lifetime’s Experience of Urethral Surgery
Richard Turner-Warwick
09:15 Genesis of Anterior Urethral Surgery: From Scrotum to Oral Mucosa
Jack McAninch
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
09:35 Developments in Bladder Reconstruction
Anthony Stone
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
09:55 Anastomotic Urethroplasty: To Transect The Urethra Or Not? The Heineke Mikulicz Approach
Julian Shah
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
10:15 Oral Mucosa and Beyond
Richard Inman
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
10:35 Effective Management of Lichen Sclerosis
Sanjay Kulkarni
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
10:55 Break for Morning Coffee
11:15 Reflections on a Lifetime’s Practice
James Wong
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
11:35 Lessons Learned From the Use of Stents
Christopher Chapple
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
11:55 Penile Surgery
Culley Carson
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
12:15 Hypospadias
Patrick Duffy
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
12:35 Break for Lunch
13:30 Difficult Retrieval Surgery
Tony Mundy
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
13:50 Colonic Mucosal Graft Ventral Onlays Utilizing the TEM Transanal Approach
Leonard Zinman
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
14:10 Development of Contemporary Management of Pelvic Fracture Urethral Distraction Injury
George Webster
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
14:30 Posterior Urethral Reconstruction Following Radical Prostate Surgery: Minimally Invasive Approaches to the Posterior Urethra
Roger Kirby
(15 minutes talk, with 5 minutes questions and discussion)
14:50 Round Table Discussion
All speakers
What do we do well? What don’t we do so well? What needs to be developed for the future? Who should carry out surgery? How should they be trained? Is there a minimum number of procedures somebody should do per year? How should we assess outcomes? (45 minutes)
15:35 Summary of meeting (10 minutes)
15:45 Meeting Closes
This meeting is an important one, dealing with a landmark individual who made a huge contribution to the field of functional and reconstructive urology, and to whom many of us who work in the field are extremely grateful.
Numerous patients have benefitted from the concepts which he introduced in this field, notwithstanding his contribution to the development of video urodynamics and the surgical concepts that he introduced.
This is going to be an opportunity where we can honour Richard for this contribution and it will also represent a state of the art review of the field of urethral surgery in 2014.
Dear organisers,
I’m an ST6 trainee in South West interested in urethral reconstruction. Just wanting to check the trainees can attend the meeting? The programme looks great!
Are you going to have a session on “diathermy scissors”? Richard’s greatest gift to me was his example of how to behave in the operating theatre. From impeccable surgical technique to impeccable manners to every person in the operating theatre. In his field, undoubtedly, a “Renaissance man”.
Sam Hampson
I am sorry that I will not be able to attend the Festschrift for Richard. He was a friend of my teacher and mentor, Charles Robson, in Toronto and I well remember his visit as my guest in the late 1970s when I was a young surgeon at the University of Toronto. As I recall, he was visiting with his famous wife who was invited to our University. He called and said he was coming so we naturally invited him to do some urethroplasties. He was in full flight for the day in the OR and we were treated to classic English surgeon persona, style and ability. It was memorable in so many ways, not the least of which was the freedom to invite a colleague into the operating room to demonstrate a technique. All the best for a great day and so glad Richard remains well and loved. It is very impressive that you guys are organizing this event.
I was mesmerized to have met Sir Turner-Warwick for the first time at the GU Surgeons about 6-7 years ago. I was a brand new member and turned around at the opening cocktail reception only to come face to face with his name tag. I felt like bowing to royalty. Even though we were separated by several “urologic generations”, he was delightful and charming while I was like a nervous schoolboy. I had studied his papers and writings in earlier projects on BPH as well as on post-prostatectomy incontinence and still remember his educational diagrams to teach important concepts. Anyway, I still remember this encounter as The Highlight of that meeting and well as one of the highlights of my career. This will be a wonderful meeting to rightfully recognize one of the true giants of our field.
I am deeply indebted to Richard “TW” for beating a path to the wastes of Hastings to sort out an array of urethral and hypospadiac challenges. It was a real privilege for patients and medical staff alike to have the benefit of his wisdom and surgical skills. Our theatre sister would await the arrival of the hallmark brown leather travel bag, a veritable Aladdin”s Cave treasure trove of carefully selected instruments. The patients would then relax as they finally shook the “maestro’s” hand. My trainees and I would then have the fun of direct operative supervision under TW’s watchful gaze and smile in amazement as reconstructive magic occurred ! What better way of honouring TW than with this comprehensive celebration of his immense surgical contribution.
The Urology Foundation is pleased to sponsor this academic meeting which celebrates the enormous contribution made to reconstructive urology, both in the United Kingdom and worldwide, by one of urology’s ‘Greats’, Richard Turner-Warwick. Events such as this, with such a packed and interesting programme, are crucial to the ongoing education and training of urologists.
And in response to Aditya’s comments above, TUF is also pleased to confirm that there are ten free places to trainee urologists who register to attend (contact the organisers). To register for the meeting go to: https://tinyurl.com/RTWmeeting
I was honored to operate with Richard both at the University of Pennsylvania and at the University of Texas at Houston. First, a 2-stage urethroplasty and then the one-stage procedure for posterior urethral ruptures. In my publication of my series I stated that he taught me the procedure and I am eternally grateful for his wisdom. I will also always remember the many times we played golf together at the AAGUS meetings and having the honor of meeting and having dinner with, as he says, the most famous person in his family, Dame Margaret.
This celebration is such an excellent idea. Richard’s contributions to RSM Winter Meetings have always been stimulating and memorable and he has been missed in recent years. Always encouraging to new recruits and enthusiastically willing to share his knowledge his approach has been exemplary. And of course the contributions have not only been academic. Who can forget Richard manfully singing German lieder to the less than reverend accompaniment of Richard Notley playing an imaginary wind instrument.
RTW’s contributions to our field are legend. He started and developed the field of functional and reconstructive urology and he has had no peer. I will not speak to this but instead I want to speak to his influence on my life which I am sure is mirrored by each of those fortunate enough to have worked with him and become his friend.
To be honest, I cannot imagine where my life would be without his influence and help. It began when I was an RSO at the Institute of Urology in London in the early 1970’s. My rotations with him showed me that there was a higher level of thoughtfulness, decision making and particularly of surgical technique and skill. He demonstrated, and I hope that I learned from him, a calmness in surgery, an enjoyment for what he was doing and an expectation for success and a refusal to accept failure as an outcome.
He was a benevolent friend. As a young RSO living in London with 3 young children he recognized the difficulties and he insisted, unasked, that I accept what was then a substantial ‘loan’ to help. He has always refused to accept repayment!
When my time at the Institute came to an end in 1975 he candidly informed me that as a ‘colonial’ my chances for a future in the UK were limited. At that time there were many ‘time expired’ UK senior registrars waiting for opportunities to open for consultant appointments. He suggested that I go to America. He not only suggested but he delivered. During a St Peters clinic he called James F Glenn at Duke University in the USA and organized my fellowship which started my career.
From that point on, I relied on a clinical foundation that he demonstrated to me. I taught and expected my subsequent 30 years of Fellows to try to achieve what I knew were his expectations for competence and expertise in surgery.
There were many other areas in which I believe RTW influenced my life. In particular my membership in the prestigious AAGUS, and being awarded the St Pauls Medal by BAUS in 2003.
I hope that it my own career I have had even a fraction of the influence on others that he had on me.
Like many I have had the immense good fortune to have trained at the Institute when all 3 greats of British Urology were at their peak. In fact, I was Richard’s last Senior Registrar at St Paul’s. It was with characteristic generosity that after retirement, he would come to Croydon to conduct Masterclasses in reconstructive surgery. The same open ended generosity also meant that for the private cases, the entire fee ended up with the junior consultant! His unassailable reasoning – school fees are higher in the London borough of Croydon!
I would like take this opportunity to share some of Richard’s famous apothegms –
Place your facts in one hand, your fairies in the other and do not go round shaking hands with yourself
Beware of special arrangements
After nearly 25 years as a consultant, I can easily recognise the profound wisdom in the above. I have, of course, shared them at every opportunity, with my own trainees
I would be there personally to celebrate the work of Richard Turner-Warwick, but I am recovering from an injury that precludes international travel. I owe a good deal to Richard. At the time that John Duckett and I went to work with David Innes Williams, Richard had a dovetail schedule that permitted us to have great exposure to his teaching about urethroplasty surgery. I ended up knowing more about urethroplasty than many of my instructors when I went to have a urology residency in the United States. In our career, John Duckett and I had a reputation in Philadelphia for skilled reconstruction of the urethra; and we had young adults sent to us by adult urologists that did not have the expertise that was required for a stricture surgery.
What I remember most about RTW’s mentorship is his kindness and interest in me as a person. He loaned me his car and always was ready to provide film for me to record my adventures. I really owe an immense amount to RTW and I cannot express it adequately in this blog. I wish I could be present at the meeting.
Warm regards,
Howard M. Snyder, III, MD
Soon after I arrived at Mount Sinai, Jim Glenn, President and CEO, appointed me to the committee that would select the following year’s honorary degree recipients. He made his agenda clear: he wanted to honor his good friend Richard Turner-Warwick and Richard’s wife Dame Margaret. I was given this assignment.
It wasn’t at all difficult in the case of Dame Margaret, who would be proposed by the chief of pulmonology. She was well-known in the world of medicine, later to become head of the British Medical society, and her selection by the committee proceeded unchallenged and unanimously. In contrast, though Richard was equally prominent, his fame was more limited to the urology community. Recognizing this in the committee’s discussions that preceded the initial vote from among the candidates who had been proposed, I cast my vote to create a run-off from which I was then able to gain a majority of votes for Richard and assure his selection. Jim Glenn was very pleased (as was I).
At the time of commencement and the event, Richard joined us as visiting professor and enchanted the faculty and residents with his knowledge, his wit, and his surgical talents. He tackled several reconstructive cases of “impossible” urethral strictures, and afterwards gave me several of his specially-designed surgical dissection instruments.
The commencement exercises during which Richard and Dame Margaret were awarded their honorary degrees by Jim Glenn were flawless. I had the pleasure of presenting Richard for his award.
That weekend we visited the country home of the pulmonologist who had sponsored Dame Margaret. Richard went wind-surfing, took us sailing, and regaled all of us with delightful conversation and anecdotes. Having known Richard only for his writings and reputation in the world of urology, I now came to appreciate the reasons for his legendary celebrity through his knowledge and ground-breaking contributions, enjoy him as a person with diverse interests and talents, and admire both Richard and Dame Margaret for their special partnership and achievements that underscored their respected position in the world of medicine. Both Esther and I are grateful for having had this unique experience and the wonderful privilege of knowing them.
Richard, I am very disappointed to be unable to attend your celebration. I remember first meeting you at Stanford in the mid-70’s when I was a resident and you brought your amazing black self-retaining retractors. We ordered these and I use them weekly. I always ask our residents–“what is the name of this retractor”. I will never forget the live surgery meeting in Nijmegen in 1984 when you planned to return to London by noon after demonstrating a “simple female incontinence operation,” only to find a pelvic cancer and then calmly performed a cystectomy and diversion at the request of the hosts–you missed your plane, but we enjoyed dinner afterward. You also taught me always bring your own instruments and suture when you travel. I appreciate your recent email to me and hope that you may continue to attend the AAGUS meetings although the Concorde is no longer :o). It’s been such a privilege to know you. My most sincere wishes on this celebration.
What can I say about the man who inspired me to become a surgeon?
Appointed as Richard Turner Warwick’s houseman – or RTW as he was known on the firm in 1968 – I quickly realized I was working for a master surgeon.
His assessment of patients, detailing what was to be done inspired confidence, while watching him operate was to watch an artist at work. His operation notes were beautifully illustrated reflecting the saying ‘-a picture paints a thousand words’.
Reconstructive surgery in Urology was in its infancy and combined with his plastic surgical experience – no part of the GU tract was beyond innovation, Culp pyeloplasties, caecocystoplasties and urethroplasties were his stock in trade – attracting surgeons from across the globe to watch him operate. His surgical instruments, of which there were many, were not only novel but a source of amusement to us especially the diathermy forceps, nicknamed ‘Tweedledee’ and ‘Tweedledum’.
His work with Professor Deborah Doniach has been mentioned but as a patient I can also attest to his skills as a thyroid surgeon.
On election to the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1998, I was introduced to the Council Club by RTW who recalled that, as his houseman, I had the temerity to ask for two weeks off to get married. On my return from honeymoon he remarked “My, how suntanned you are!”
Is it any wonder we loved working for him?
Lord (Bernie) Ribeiro
I am so pleased that so many people have taken the trouble to add their comments to this blog, and I very much hope that many more will do so. Richard was an inspirational teacher and superb mentor to me when I was his Senior Registrar at the Middlesex Hospital between 1981 and 1986. Always kind and thoughtful, it was an honour and a pleasure to work for him and for his colleague Euan Milroy. I have the clearest memory of Richard arriving at 5.30 pm for a 2 o’clock operating list and embarking on a difficult pelvic reconstruction which didn’t finish until 1 am. Nobody in the operating theatre complained, we just enjoyed watching the work of the master surgeon. Punctuality wasn’t always Richard’s forte; his anaesthetist Bill Pallister used to say he wasn’t just “dyscloxic” he was “acloxix”! Generous to a fault, he gave me a great reference and lent me £10,000 to get started in Harley Street just after I got a consultant post at St Bartholomew’s Hospital with Bill Hendry and Hugh Whitfield as my colleagues. Richard we salute you, you are one of the very greats of urology, and we are looking forward to seeing you in Glasgow for what I am sure will be a most memorable day of tribute to you.
I met Richard in about 1968 when Jay Gillenwater and I were on our way to a meeting of International Society of Nephrology. Jay set up the meeting, Richard was a won derful host. On rounds I was surprised to find out that there were a number of patients who had had splenectomies!. It was one of his interests..He also showed us his new unit with the unusual name of a “Urodynamics Unit”.. We also found out from his fellows that they also had a hell of a hard time removing the sutures from his patients with the deep scrotal flaps for posterior strictures. Much later he and Chris asked me to review his wonderful text on reconstructive urology before it was published. A classic. Finally Anne and I have all of Dame Margaret’s beautiful Christmas watercolors framed in our house in Wyoming. Have a wonderful meeting wish I could be there. Darracott Vaughan
I have just found this photograph of rather younger versions of RTW and myself, taken just after I delivered my Hunterian lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons. The statue behind us is the founder of scientific surgery John Hunter. Richard was not only an inspirational teacher of surgery, he also encouraged us all to engage in research. In particular he supported my investigation of patients with the Shy Drager syndrome (Multiple System Atrophy) in conjunction with Sir Roger Bannister (the first man in the world to run a 4 minute mile) and Professor Clare Fowler CBE. Without Richard that project would never have happened.
Although I never worked with RTW his influence on reconstructive urology and trainees has been exceptional . I clearly remember his visit to Bournemouth when I was a trainee to help us repair a fistula of the urethra and putting the patient into a jack knife position to make a difficult operation look very easy !
RTW laid the foundations for much of the reconstructive urology we practice today and his foresight , vision and technique in this area would be hard to develop and reproduce today .
I and many others truly thank RTW for his contribution to world urology and wish him all the best for the coming meeting in Glasgow
Richard Turner Warwick
There are a number of special people among the “greats” of our profession. Some stand out as interesting “characters” in addition to their renowned expertise. It might be their flair for life, superb teaching, ability to command an audience, surgical prowess, and/or their trainees who carry on their scientific lessons. There are not many who have special gifts in all these areas. During my career I would say that Willett Whitmore, Jr., Harry Spence, Pat Walsh, John Fitzpatrick, Innis Williams, Joseph Kaufman, Don Skinner, Andy Novick, Tony Mundy, Roger Kirby, and Chris Woodhouse are just a few who come to mind. Clearly those who read this will add many more names. Richard TW absolutely fits in with this crowd. As a resident I recall learning how to “fix” a membranous urethral stricture using his now famous technique. I have always been impressed with his lectures whether at the AUA, AAGUS, BAUS or at the Australia/NZ meeting. Of course he was always there and surrounded by his colleagues and trainees eager to bask in his glow and gain some special tricks garnered by years of dedication to his subspecialty.
If there is a stereotype associated with the British professor it would include that peculiar accent, command of the English language, stylish apparel, and yes, enjoyment of the “toddy”. Check. TW scores well on all of these attributes. He is one of my urology role models.
Mark Soloway
I had the great privilege to be the Secretary of BAUS when Richard was President. That year enabled me to get to know Richard closely and personally, in a very different way from being a clinical or research registrar. His enthusiasm, his generosity, his humour and his ideas combined to make that year one of the most memorable of my professional career. In spite of her own commitments, Margaret was always a great support to Richard, and he relied on her wise advice. In those days the role of the wife of the Secretary was more in evidence and with Penny, my wife, Richard, Margaret and I developed a friendship that has lasted throughout the subsequent years.
Richard’s influence on my own clinical practice has been of fundamental importance. I regret that I never worked for him, but nevertheless I benefited from his teaching and research and attended many national and international meetings with him where his reputation was unrivalled.
It was Richard’s idea to instigate The St Paul’s Medal, an award that is held in the highest regard by all major international urologists; those who have received the Medal know that they have climbed a peak that few others have reached. This was Richard’s unselfish way of demonstrating the respect that he had for other major contributors to world urology.
It is a great honor and pleasure to join in the celebration for Richard in Glasgow at the SIU meeting. I first met Richard when I had just joined the faculty at Duke and he was a visiting professor and one of the faculty at Jim Glenn’s “Invitational Assembly for Advanced Urology” in Pinehurst, NC, USA. I was seated next to Richard at the banquet and spent a wonderful few hours getting to know him. He was especially kind to a young, academic urologist early in his career. Richard was a wonderful conversationalist and dinner partner for me and my wife Mary Jo. We often speak fondly of that evening.
Since those early days, I have seen and interacted with Richard frequently both in the US and UK. As the father of reconstructive urology, I have learned and discussed many complex issues with him over the years.
Richard’s expertise and reputation have been well discussed above, but I would like to add that he is also a wonderful man with outstanding people skills and a knack to make colleagues comfortable. I shall always value my many interactions with Richard Turner-Warwick.
I think it is fair to say that RTW was the inspiration for me to take up a career in urology. The place was King Edward the VII Hospital for Officers, known to most as Sister Agnes’. It is on a quiet street just off Harley Street and a stone’s throw from the Middlesex Hospital.
It was here that RTW did most of his private work. I was the Resident Medical Officer, for a 6 month period whilst preparing for the English surgical exams. Most of the duties were ward work but they were, fortunately, on the light side. This gave me the opportunity to spend time in OR assisting RTW with his complex reconstructions – that were more akin to origami than any of the surgery that I had been exposed to so far. It was this unusual creative element that, I believe, was the catalyst that helped me choose urology as a career. I shall remain eternally grateful.
When I was appointed RTW’s ward sister in 1974, little did I realise how much my life was going to change. For 7 years I worked with him and never failed to admire his amazing awareness of all those around him on the ward and in the hospital, as well as his wonderful communication skills with everyone, especially when he did his famous rounds on a Friday afternoon inevitably running into early evening sessions! No one minded as he made everyone feel that they were special and that he had turned up just to see them personally and they had as much time as they wanted! The natural anxieties of the forthcoming surgical procedures were dismissed calmly by this generosity of giving time in explanation until all were reassured. Life was fun too, with his wonderful sense of humour and ability to make everyone feel relaxed. He always entered into the life of the ward and it was known through the Middlesex that to work on RTW’s ward was a privilege, and an experience not to be missed! Christmas saw him carving the turkey and giving out the presents to the patients in true style year after year until the dreaded plated meals arrived and put an end to the tradition.
He, with Dame Margaret were responsible for supporting and guiding me into Medicine which had always been a pipe dream and having been a doctor for 27 years I look back and couldn’t have had a better start with their outstanding support both then and over the years.
One could never encapsulate all the attributes of such a special man.
Thank you Richard and Margaret.
It is heart-warming to see the wonderful comments from the great and good so far posted in this blog. I entirely agree with all of the remarks that have been made about his wide ranging support of those of us who had the honour of working for him. However, the younger reader may not learn from them exactly what Richard contributed to that which now is standard teaching in urology. So let me remind the new generation of the world before RTW.
Urethral strictures – managed by 6 weekly dilatation by a junior registrar on Saturday mornings. Now treated by urethroplasty. Frequency, urgency and nocturia – must be due to a big prostate even in those whose prostate was small (or hadn’t even got one!). Now investigated with urodynamics, bladder neck dyssynergia considered, diagnosis based management. Bad bladder problems – managed by ileal conduit or catheter. Now reconstructed by ‘take it all to bits and put it back together again’. Inadequate instruments – managed by acceptance. Now managed by working with manufacturers to make better ones. Acloxia (as above) – managed by operating all night. Now the realisation that it is not a good idea and surgeons are taught to tell the time.
I am sure that others could cite many more examples. I believe these are a much greater legacy to urology than his teaching of us individuals – that which he taught us now is standard practice and has stood the test of time.
There has been a fantastic response to the meeting in honour of RTW in Glasgow just before the SIU meeting. RTW has made such an enormous contribution to thie field not only with the introduction of video-urodynamis but with the development of a surgical philosophy from which so many of us have benefitted as have our patients. He is truly a urological legend ( https://www.canjurol.com/html/free-articles/V16I06-02-Legends_Dec09.pdf).
He along with Euan Milroy as shown in the picture just above were great mentors to me when I was their senior registrar.
I intend to publish a video copy of the academic event on the web following our meeting, which will provide a comprehensive and up to date overview of current practice in urethral surgery.
A story about a remarkable and generous man who made a Rickardian career a modest success! An advert in the BMJ for a post of radiologist at the Middlesex was espied. I bunged in a application. I travelled from Manchester to London many times in pursuit of this post. I gained access to Malcolm Chapman, then head of Radiology at the Middlesex, Euan Milroy in room D who’s only interest was whether I sailed boats and many others. Thrice I travelled to London to see RTW. On all occasions, I failed to get an audience with the great man. To my surprise, I was short listed. I travelled to London for the interview. There were four of us for the post, me to be interviewed last. Whilst in the consultant’s sitting room, the three others were in and out in 20 minutes. My turn!!!!!!! It started with a few lame questions from people I had not met, and then Richard. Bless him, he did not ask me a single question, but proceeded to give a fine lecture on urethrography and urethroplasty. I glanced at my watch and saw that I had been in the committee room for 40 minutes! RTW eventually had his say and 10 minutes later, I was offered the post, which I accepted with alacrity. 3 months later, I started at the Middlesex. Kirby was an SR and very rapidly became a mate. Following my first urodynamic meeting, I went back to my office to find a cheque from RTW for £500. I was confused, so asked Milroy what to do. Cash it and thank RTW. That is the sort of man he is, Milroy told me.
Well, we had a wonderful time together for many years, precious years and unforgettable time. Many other Urologists who owe RTW much came through the department. Chris C amongst than. I was fortunate indeed to have RTW on my side, where he still remains.
Dear Richard,
I apologize for not being part of this celebration dedicated to the recognition of your extraordinary contribution. You are essentially the beginning of this discipline and thousands of patients with previously non fixable pathology are now living normal lives throughout the planet.
All The Best,
Len Z
So many nice words about Richard and Dame Margaret whose mutual support for each other helped to sustain their two stellar medical careers. Family was always a most important priority for Richard, and there are lessons for all of us there. I can’t resist adding in a photograph of Richard and Margaret with their awards and their two wonderful daughters in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace!
Dear Richard,
How can any of us adequately thank you for your teaching and inspirational guidance so generously given. As a trainee gynaecologist with an interest in incontinence but disappointment in the poor results achieved by my specialty I had the incredible good fortune to be sent to you by George Pinker. You took me into your team and it is no exaggeration to say that this experience changed and shaped my career in medicine.
The time spent in the basement of the Middlesex with my friend and colleague David Farrar under the guidance of yourself and Buck was exciting and stimulating as well as being enormous fun. It also enabled me to forge links with urological colleagues which were invaluable for the rest of my career.
When I was put on the staff at the Middlesex you so generously took me into your rooms to join yourself and Euan. There are many memories from that time, but I still cannot understand how you managed to work so hard on apparently three continents at the same time! I remember well arriving at the rooms one morning and seeing you leaving for Heathrow en route to the USA, on entering the rooms I found Thelma Rondell trying to explain to a gathering of people from the Middle East that they could not wait for you in the waiting room as you would be delayed for some time!
On another occasion I finished my list at the Middlesex at about 8 PM and emerged from the theatre thinking that I had completed a days work, however another patient was being wheeled into another theatre and when I enquired about this I was told that Mr Turner Warwick was just about to start another urethral complex reconstruction.
Just a few fond memories of days past and the privilege that I feel to have been a colleague and friend to a generous man who has made such a great contribution to our profession.
With fondest best wishes to you and Margaret
yours John.( an ex ape with shaven arms)
Dear Richard
I don’t have words to describe my feelings. For last 2 years I have been requesting Chris to arrange such a meeting and he along with Roger have done a fantastic job.
TW is not only father of functional reconstructive urology,his place is amongst all time greats!
In 1983-84 I was training under Mr Michael Heal in the Leighton hospital at Crew. Mr Heal was trained by TW. Mr Heal would tell us stories of TW’s extraordinary surgical skills.
I was lucky to be Richard’s first assistant in the Middlesex hospital as a locum registrar in 1986.Roger Kirby was the SR and Chris Chapple was the fellow.
Whenever I asked Richard,a question during urethroplasty,he would stop surgery and explain for 20 min.He called hypotesive anaesthesia by Dr Pallister as Palliesthesia.
In India I was fortunate to develop urethral reconstruction as my speciality and am happy to tell you that most Indian urologists are very skilful in performing urethroplasties.
See you in Glasgow.
Sanjay Kulkarni
Dear Richard,
What an absolute privillage to have worked with you all those years ago, first as a staff nurse and then a sister for 8 years on John Astor Ward, just after Janie left to undertake her medical career.
You were incredibly patient, kind and supportive with such a young inexperienced sister, and yet such a iconic pioneer in your field. To watch your surgical techniques was a triumph and it all had to be done by ‘Gin Time’ of course! although I think Gin Time was quite late on occasions.
The patients were in awe and incredibly lucky to have had the benefit of surgery under your care, when they were so often in such a desperate situation.
I wish you a wonderful day and congratulate you on all that you have achieved, you are truely unique.
Best wishes to yourself and Margaret
Liz x
RTW and John Osbourne shared private rooms. John Osbourne was my Gynaecologist. I went to see John for my regular check up, which involved stirrups and the usual indignities of female examinations. Whilst lying back and thinking of England, the door burst open and in came an uninvited RTW! Osbourne, mindful of my honour, exclaimed “I am examining a patient, please leave,”. RTW responded by opening his desk drawer and said, glancing over his left shoulder “oh well, it is only Annie!” His secretary apologised “I couldn’t stop him”……..well, who could!. RTW has been seminal in my husband’s career, for which I will always be grateful, and was wonderfulally present at David’s retirement lunch. It was also great to see him looking so well with Margaret at our home in Marsh Barns this summer at the Urology retirement lunch.
With love
Annie x
It was Roger’s knock on my door asking me about sphincter EMG (not alot then) that got me involved in uro-neurology. And behind Roger I could tell there was a very kind and generous supporter, RTW. So indirectly RTW determined my career, just as he did so many others who have contributed to this blog. I am very grateful and send my best wishes for his continued good health and enjoyable retirement with his rather fantastic wife, Dame Margaret, the first lady President of my college, the Royal College of Physicians.
I imagine the 12th Oct will be a very memorable day.
Richard’s distinctive enquiring mind and innovative approach to surgery, to patients and to colleagues has been and continues to be a huge influence on our lives and practices.
Richard established the Urodynamic Clinic at the Middlesex Hospital in the late 1960’s to further the understanding of clinical problems from a functional standpoint and enable informed decision-making. It was a very stimulating multidisciplinary environment with radiologist Graham (Buck) Whiteside, and weekly clinical review sessions with robust discussion among the urologists, gynaecologists and overseas visitors contributing. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be Urology Research Fellow at the Middlesex in 1971-2 following on from the first Fellow, Patrick Bates. Derek Griffiths, a physicist, was a regular visitor to the Unit while working on his thesis on hydrodynamics in elastic tubes at Exeter University.
Richard traveled widely to Australia and NZ as well as USA and Europe and other parts, sharing his understanding and surgical skills. He would arrive after a 26 hour flight from UK, get off the plane and immediately wanted to review the cases we had collected to seek his advice and surgical skills. He did not allow himself the luxury of taking time to recover from jet lag.
Richard and Dame Margaret were very generous to me too. They offered our young family the use of their holiday house in Studland on the south coast, with use of the laser yacht. When I returned from NZ to London to write up the PhD thesis, he and Margaret invited me to stay in their home in Highgate for 6 weeks, and loaned me a car, while both gave valuable advice on the writing up.
Many of us remember with gratitude and often considerable affection, the training we received from our surgical chiefs during our apprenticeship, but rarely thanked them adequately for this, as mentioned by Richard in the Prologue to his book on Functional Reconstruction of the Urinary Tract and Gynaeco-Urology. Thanks to Chris and Roger for arranging this occasion, and providing an opportunity to thank you.
I did not train at the Middlesex or the Institute, but I have had the great privilege to have operated with RTW on several occasions – he willingly gave his time to come Reading to help with complex problems – always the teacher and master surgeon.
There are surgeons, good surgeons and masters – RTW was a master and amongst everything else, his design of instruments and retractors made life so much easier – it somehow encapsulated his whole approach.
I first met him as Senior Registrar representative on BAUS Council in 1981 and since then, he and Dame Margaret have remained good friends – a relationship I value enormously. He has been extraordinarily kind and generous to me over the years and whilst President of BAUS.
Others have written anecdotes, but I flew to Vancouver with him on the way to an RSM Winter Meeting and sat next to him – he worked solidly for 9 hours on his textbook of Gynaeco Urology, whilst we all slept and ate, an example of his ability to concentrate solely on the task in hand. On another date, he famously told my rather voluble anaesthetist to shut up – something he never forgot!
I am absolutely delighted that this meeting has been arranged in his honour and to recognise his gigantic contribution to Urology. Thank you, Richard.
I’m extremely disappointed that I won’t be able to take part in the Glasgow RTW tribute meeting. Richard took me on as SR at a difficult time in my career, and I have much to thank him for as a massive contributor to my urology training at the Middlesex Hospital and the 3Ps. His surgical skill was internationally respected and under his care I learned so many skills which benefited me and my patients. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his generosity in so many ways. He was the rare combination of great surgeon and great boss especially when the list was long and he was ” in the doggie house” yet again.
A man of his standing generates many stories. I remember starting a TURP on his huge afternoon list. Richard bowled in unexpectedly early and I apologised for starting his TURP. He replied that he didnt mind my starting but did mind my not having finished! Happy days!
Thank you Richard
In the days when there were only 16 SRs in Urology and 150 Consultants I was fortunate to become Richard’s SR at the Middlesex. At the same time Patrick Bates was developing video-urodynamics with Graham (Buck) Whiteside and the ICS consisted of 50 people so there was much to learn and there were many hours of “dynamic” discussion. Richard was a fantastic person to work for and there was plenty of surgery to do and new techniques to learn. An operating list finished when all cases had been done, not at any specific time! Richard’s time keeping improved when digital watches were invented but he could still be late. One day he arrived rather late for a case, when during the operation he mentioned how nice the weather had been over the Isle of Wight where he had been in his plane earlier in the afternoon. His capacity for work was enormous. His generosity has been mentioned by many people and I too benefited by having holidays at his house in Studland. I am sorry that I will not be at the meeting, but I am sure that it will be a memorable occasion and I congratulate Chris and Roger on putting it together, which will be much enjoyed by everyone and especially Richard!
Many others have written of Richards enormous contribution to urethral surgery. As his colleague for 30 years or more at The Middlesex, King Edward VII, and at Harley House, it is important to note that his range of surgical skills really was “all encompasing” – there was no surgical procedure which TW could not improve upon, both in technique and, as has been mentioned, in new instrumentation.
Others have spoken of his great kindness and generosity – this infused his whole unit at The Middlesex, the most friendly and happy workplace I have ever experienced, largely thanks to his influence. Always late for everything but always with the most disarming explanations. In fact it was his enthusiasm to discuss, explain and advise in such a relaxed and easy manner that resulted in this “acloxia”. A 24 hour day was just not long enough.
We all owe Richard and Margaret a huge debt of gratitude for their continuing kindness, generosity and friendship and the meeting in Glasgow, so kindly organised by Chris and Roger, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate this.
It was a privilege to have worked for RTW. His knowledge, patience, encouragement and boundless enthusiasm were invaluable and much appreciated and to Richard I am most grateful for that. It is clear his boundless enthusiasm still continues and I wish him all the best for his special day this weekend.
Richard, I regret that I cannot attend this wonderful celebration and recognition of your life as a great surgeon, educator and leader in our field. Your leadership and guidance has lead the field of functional and reconstructive urology to its proper place as a subspecialty in urological surgery. I have been a benefactor of your skills and contributions to our speciality. Thank you for your many years of friendship.
Following completion of my urological training in Australia in the mid 1970s, I was most fortunate to spend two years at the Institute of Urology. Both personally and professionally, these were among the best years of my life during which time I was privileged to work for twelve months as Richard’s SR at St Paul’s. From previous reading, I was aware of Richard’s innovative and ground-breaking surgical achievements but there was nothing like being there as his assistant to appreciate the breadth and depth of his extraordinary surgical talents. He attributed these and the exceptional outcomes for his patients in large part to his having been trained in general surgery, plastic surgery and urology and to unravelling the pathophysiology of lower urinary tract problems before surgery through video-urodynamics, which he pioneered with ‘Buck’ Whiteside at the Middlesex Hospital.
Others have mentioned some of Richard’s admirable personal traits but, for me, special mention also must be made of his championing of those around him, of which I am but one of many beneficiaries. I recall clearly Richard regularly expressing his sincere appreciation for the skill of his anaesthetist at St Paul’s at the time, John Samuel, who would manage the most difficult cases so smoothly, by commenting genuinely at the end of the session “super anaesthetic John “. Richard’s generous acknowledgement of those around him extended to beyond those in medicine and nursing, recognising the skill and devotion of the many talented members of the Institute’s staff. ‘Bart’ Bartholomew, with his exceptional photographic skills, and Freda Wadsworth whose medical illustrative brilliance remains second to none, warrant particular mention in this regard. Richard has always been extremely proud of Dame Margaret and her many achievements and would invariably deflect praise directed to him by lauding his better half, then Professor Margaret Turner-Warwick.
Following my return to Australia, Richard continued his unstinting support in many ways, notably flying in for a day or so to operate on complex lower urinary tract reconstructive problems, free of charge to the patients and hospital, and to provide educational sessions for local urologists. Richard, your legacy in terms of innovation, support for others and overall generosity are outstanding at a global level. I am so appreciative of your mentoring, encouragement and enduring friendship.
I regret that I could not be there.
I am sitting here looking at the Volume of the Urologic Clinics of North America on Urodynamics which he orchestrated with Graeme Whiteside in 1979 and at the masterful text which he authored with Chris Chapple on Functional Reconstruction of the Urinary Tract and Gynaeco-Urology. It is impossible to quantitate the contributions of “RTW” to the the evaluation, diagnosis and management of lower urinary tract and pelvic disorders and to reconstructive surgery. There is no other word than “Master” to describe the way that he is able to organize his thoughts and express them precisely. I learned by observation his art of taking clinical observations, putting them together with established anatomic, physiologic and pharmacological facts , and formulating hypotheses , usually correct, about “how things worked” and how to correct them when they went wrong. It would be impossible to estimate the number of us who have benefited from his thinking. He made much of an entire field simple, yet precise. His gift of doing this calls to mind the quote from Einstein, “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex…it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction”.
What a fantastic evening Chris and Roger organised to bring together as many people as possible who could reflect on their wonderful experiences of working with RTW. It was so obvious he is a complete legend – We felt so honoured to be included in such a special occasion.Thank you Richard for giving us so many wonderful memories to hear about and celebrate.
Richard and Janie
It was a privilege to have met RTW at this excellent meeting. Since my early days I have been hearing his name and have come across a lot of his works. I always wondered what RTW was like in person and it was inspiring speaking to him and getting his views on the past, present and future of urology. The talks were all excellent and should all appear online. For anyone who could not attend I would recommend sincerely.
What a fantastic pleasure and honour it was to meet RTW. It is not often you meet the surgeon behind eponymous instruments! As we trainees learnt, RTW’s contribution to our specialty was much much greater than that encompassing surgical techniques, innovations and concepts that have stood the test of time. I would strongly recommend viewing the lectures when they become available online. Many thanks to Professors Chapple and Kirby for organising a superb and highly educational 2 days.
It was a great pleasure to meet RTW and his esteemed wife in Glasgow. The academic programme was fantastic and generated wonderful discussion. The contribution RTW has made to urology is probably not so obvious to many urology trainees, however on Saturday it was clear to see that his innovation and skill helped and inspired many.
The lectures from many greats of reconstructive urology will make great viewing when they appear online.
It was a great pleasure and an honour to meet RTW and Dame Margaret at this fantastic event organised by Professors Chapple and Kirby. The impressive setting of the Royal College in Glasgow provided a very fitting location for such an occasion.
The contribution of RTW is astounding; his instruments truly innovative and his generosity inspiring. It was clear to see from the tributes of true world leaders in our field, how RTW shaped the future of reconstructive urology.
I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to attend this occasion and celebrate the contributions of a master.
Chris Hillary
Sheffield, UK
I am very grateful for Chris Chapple and Roger Kirby for organising this fantastic event for RTW and it was an honour to be invited. The meal and academic programme gave a real overview of reconstructive surgery and the enormous contribution in instrumentation, surgical technique, principles and philosophy contributed by RTW. His kind and generous personal attributes also came through in the personal reminiscences at the meal on Friday evening.
In the cut and thrust of Meetings and Conferences it can seem as though we are poles apart in our views. It can take an event like this, when we are celebrating the achievements of an exceptional person who made such contributions to patient care and to passing on his experiences and helping the next generation improve even further, to realise that we are all at the same point of the compass.
Mixing with and listening to the talks, discussions, tributes and reflections of so many talented people talking about another in such a generous fashion was inspiring, and reminded me what a good choice it was to became a urologist.
A great event and a fitting tribute to the great man and his lifelong wife and partner Dame Margaret. I do believe that a good time was had by all at the dinner and the level of discussion on the Saturday was extremely high. Here are some photographs to mark the occasion. Our thanks are due to The Urology Foundation (TUF) and Allergan for thier generous support of the meeting.
A great event and a fitting tribute to the great man and his lifelong wife and partner Dame Margaret. I do believe that a good time was had by all at the dinner and the level of discussion on the Saturday was extremely high. Here are some photographs to mark the occasion. Our thanks are due to The Urology Foundation (TUF) and Allergan for their generous support of the meeting.
My name is Yasser Noureldin, Postdoctoral Urology Research Fellow, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Being one of the SIU scholarship winners this year, I was invited to this dinner. It was an honor for me to meet Dr. RTW together with Dr. Chris Chapple. Really, it was great event for great man.
What a privilege it was to see RTW back at work at the fantastic meeting on Saturday 11th September in the Glasgow College. His wit and insightfulness were still there and we all appreciated so many high quality lectures. Also what a great dinner the night before with many appropriately wonderful memories and then the special award from the SIU on the following Sunday evening.
I was lucky enough to be the registrars’ representative on BAUS Council in 1988 when RTW was the President of BAUS and it was great to see how he managed the Associations affairs so capably and encouraged all around him to strive to achieve their best.
I was lucky enough to get him to come to Taunton in the early 1990s where he reconstructed two of our very complex patients with his classic – ‘take it to bits and put it together’ technique (TITBAPIT) – a master at work. Many thanks.
I am sure that I can speak on behalf of all Australian and New Zealand urologists to express what a privilege and honour it was having RTW visit us regularly throughout his illustrious career. He was an enormous friend to us all, and naturally a mentor and teacher in urethral reconstructive surgery. I had the great honour of watching him do complex urethroplasties as a training registrar and always wondered how he managed to make the most complex reconstructive surgery look straight forward and easy. He inspired us all, taught us surgical skills in reconstruction, educated us, helped us with the most complex cases and most of all was a respected and dear friend and colleague to us all.
Richard Turner-Warwick has been a massive positive influence on Urology in Britain and world-wide. He has invariably been stimulating, provocative and entertaining. His generosity is rightly legendary: at a personal level he always gave you time even if you were not working with him to educate and help you. A true giant.
Richard called me this morning to say how much the dinner and symposium had meant to him and to Margaret. He had only just seen the blog (he thought that the word “blog” was a swear word!). Not many urologists in their late 80’s could engender so many expressions of loyalty. The term “generous” was the one most often applied to RTW at the meeting, and I think that his generosity of spirit and kindness of heart is why we all love him so much.
The Glasgow meeting organised by Chris Chapple and Roger Kirby to honour Richard and Margaret Turner Warwick was an unforgettable event.The academic program was excellent and Richard commented on most of them with his usual flare.
Sanjay Kulkarni
Wow, I am jealous, I thought I would only share MY “RTW” with Chris Chapple and myself since we met at Middlesex in 1989. After reading all the blogs, I am so glad RTW has touch so many of us in our life and our careers throughout the world. A true doyen and master in our reconstructive world of Urology!! A big sincere thank to Chris and Roger in organizing a wonderful dinner and scientific session in the honour of RTW and his wife Dame Margaret.
I did not train directly with RTW, but was fortunate to be guided by Tim Stephenson in Cardiff and George Webster at Duke, so feel that I’m truly part of the Warwick family! I will always remember assisting RTW on his visits to Cardiff: often late arriving from London (theatre staff were always happy to wait); the impressive TITBAPIT procedures that followed (only one 4 x 4 swab required!!), and the often delayed dinner at the end of the day, preceded by the obligatory G & T(s)!!
It has given me great professional pride to be able to apply Richard’s principles of functional reconstruction in my own practice in California and have been able to pass this knowledge on to my residents and fellows.
Thank you Richard, for the surgical foundations I have used to develop my career in the US.
And thanks again to Chris and Roger for organizing such and excellent and worthwhile meeting
Professor Richard Turner-Warwick
Dear Sir,
It has been an honour for me and the SIU to be associated with this celebration of your career and to have awarded you the SIU Distinguished Career Award during the SIU Congress in Glasgow.
There are very few people who reach the status of «Legend» during their lifetime, yet you are among them. Your contributions to so many fields of urology have, and will continue, to impact generations of urologists. You are worthy of every one of the numerous messages of esteem, praise and friendship which have been bestowed upon you. Bravo for this long and outstanding career.
Luc Valiquette
SIU president
The festschrift for RTW in Glasgow was a wonderful evening dinner and scientific session the next day. The speakers were uniformly excellent and the tribute fitting for the father of reconstructive urology. It was clear that that the RTW principles are valid and widely accepted in 2014. Without the contributions of RTW, we would not be able to serve our patients in reconstructive urologic surgery as we do today. Thank you Richard for all you have done and to Roger and Chris for a wonderful two day tribute.
It is 40 years since I met RTW. I was working for Patrick Bates in Nottingham as an SHO and RTW came and did a VOSURP (modified colpo) with which I assisted. The Middlesex Hospital and its connection with my future career and my links with RTW were forged that long day ago. Since that time I was RTW’s Research Urodynamic Registrar, his Senior Registrar and then a Consultant working with him at the 3 P’s and the Middlesex Hospital until he retired. I still use the “gorgeous” black instruments. Where would I be without the RTW needle holder. I never use another. His lateral thinking, surgical skills and of course generosity mark him as one of the great surgeons of our time. The opportunity to meet Richard and Margaret in Glasgow was a pleasure and fitting tribute to his lifetime achievements.
It was a delight to be at the festivities in honour (notice I inserted the “u” in respect for my UK colleagues) of Richard (and also to some extent of Dame Margaret). I was thrilled to see how well they looked and that both still had the humour (another “u”) for which I had enjoyed being with them for so many years.
Was glad to see that Roger and Chris were able to insert some of the photos I took during the celebratory dinner and the following day’s meeting. Also, seeing Richard honoured (a third “u”) by the SIU was so very enjoyable, and richly deserved.
I believe the evening’s celebration was greatly enriched by the vignettes presented by Richard’s colleagues. It displayed not only the UK wit (so much envied by us “Yanks”) but the great admiration and gratitude Richard’s colleagues had for him. And Richard (and Dame Margaret) seemed greatly to enjoy this.
As Richard mentioned at his acceptance of the SIU award: This was a better way to celebrate one’s achievements than to have it appear in one’s obituary.
Live on, Richard and Dame Margaret, for many more happy and healthy years.
Michael J. Droller, M.D.
Dear Richard,
What a wonderful occasion in Glasgow, it was such a pleasure to be with you and Margaret and to hear the richly deserved tributes to your life.
Your contributions are recognised not only by your friends but also by the wider scientific community. As was said, you founded functional urology, a huge contribution. This is testament to both your personal and professional qualities. As an individual you are have not been bound by accepted thinking but have explored new ideas with your students, that is us. You have always been generous of your time and prepared to discuss the theories and practice of urology.
As an excellent technical surgeon your patients received added benefit because you valued the functional outcome as highly as an acceptable anatomic endpoint, and adhered to the engineering maxim that “Form must follow function”
Thank you for your contributions to our lives and therefore to our patients well-being.
Following the wonderful tribute/festschrift to Richard organized by Chris Chapple and Roger Kirby at the Royal College in Glasgow I would like to add further comment to my earlier blog.
The formal gathering was elegant and rekindled the camaraderie that is felt by those who trained with or were strongly influenced by RTW. The comments made that evening were all heart-felt and reflected the true reverence in which he is still held.
The following day demonstrated how the breadth and depth of his influence is remembered. He codified the field of urethroplasty and developed procedures performed today. He introduced the concept of functional urology, supported by his enthusiasm for urodynamic evaluation, and extrapolated this to all fields of lower tract reconstruction, including bladder reconstruction. And, he described techniques to reconstruct all parts of the urinary tract. The only area of reconstruction that we did not discuss and yet was a part of his major contribution was that of uro-gynecology.
Throughout, he raised expectations of what we should expect as our functional outcomes.
As I reflect on his influence I remember also what I took away from my time with him. His surgery was always impeccable. He had an economy of motion and an unhurried but efficient progress through the case where anatomy and particularly fascial planes were of paramount importance and where minimal blood loss and a clean operative field were mandatory. I tried to live to and teach these precepts, but never quite emulated.
It was truly a memorable weekend!
Receiving the BAUS /RTW’s ‘St Pauls’ medal from him in 2003
It was a great event, I was truly lucky to attend it. In fact, the contributions of Dr. RTW are not only recognized by those who work in the field of reconstructive surgery but also by all the scientific community
This is my honour to the black tie dinner with Richard Turner-Warwick. My mentors always mentions this name in varies kind of reconstructive surgery. The needle driver, retractor. Now I know you are a very nice guy.
The symposium – The genesis of urethroplasty was wonderful
A comprehensive review of the development and advancement in urethral surgery.
I attended a very memorable day in glasgow in honour of Mr Richard Turner-Warwick, one of the greats of Urology. As a trainee it was a great privilege to listen to RTW recount moments from his wonderful career. It was also a pleasure to be surrounded by many ‘greats’ from the world of reconstructive urology. The day fuelled my already burning desire to pursue a career in genito-urethral reconstructive urology and one could not have a better role model than Richard Turner-Warwick!
A photograph of Prof Tony Mundy holding forth in his usual forceful way at the RTW tribute event. He was on particularly good form that evening, and, as usual, delivered a masterful talk about urethral stricture disease and in particular how he became interested in the subject.
42 years ago, as a young assistant professor I was desperately struggling with post traumatic strictures of the membranous urethra, RTW’s papers in the BJU were an inspiration but I felt the need to see the author in action ;my Chief at the time ,Professor P.Aboulker , agreed to support a trip to London ,a “rendez-vous” was organised by mail and I met RTW at St Peters hospital to see him do 2 cases in a row,then followed him to the theater at the institute of Urology , carrying his instruments in a leather bag,handing them to the theater Nurse who literally dipped them in a container full of a boiling purple solution for 20 minutes ,while the next case was prepped …this first meeting was a fabulous experience :RTW kindly explained to the unknown urologist from the continent every step of the procedure, introduced me to his special instruments and to the use of Dexon (unheard of at this time in France,and of which J.Blandy said that RTW used it for everything including brushing his teeth…) I became a regular visitor , acquired the RTW set of instruments ,became an addict to the diathermy scissors, and finally managed to achieve success treating a post traumatic membranous stricture by a TW 2 stage procedure, the first of a long series of urethral stricture cases. I would like to express my gratitude not only to RTW to which I am of course heavily indebted but also to the Institute of Urology which provided in the seventies and eighties a fantastic teaching experience :crossing the channel and being exposed to the Stars of British Urology was extremely rewarding.
It was a great privilege to meet Professor Richard Turner-Warwick. I would like to thank Dr. Kirby and Dr. Chapple for organizing this historical event.
Through my training I have heard his name from my many mentors who held Professor Turner-Warwick in huge regard. I was impressed by the amazing stories about training under RTW. I was taught to use numerous instruments carrying his name (they are not so easy to find in the US). For years I was hunting for his textbook on Functional Reconstruction which I was able to buy without taking another mortgage. I never thought I would have a chance to meet the Master in person!
Once again, I would like to thank the organizers, Dr. Kirby and Dr. Chapple for this memorable and inspirational event.
Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
The Glasgow meeting to honour my Guru Richard Turner Warwick was a dream come true event for me and my wife Dr Jyotsna Kulkarni along with Dr Deepak Kirpekar (President USI).
I met Margaret for the first time, what a charming lady!
Great celebrations at the Garrick Club in Covent Garden, a stone’s throw from the site of the famous St Peter’s Hospital on Wednesday 27th May to celebrate Richard Turner Warwick’s 90th birthday. Peter Worth and Hugh Whitfield did a masterly job in getting some of the great names in urology together again to mark this most auspicious occasion. Richard stood up and said a few words and I am posting a photograph of the great man in full flow who remains in fine fettle, as does Dame Margaret, who was as usual at his side. A spectacular event for a marvellous survivor of the “Golden Age of Urology” in London. It was a real privilege to be there!
I worked as a newly qualified theatre staff nurse at the Middlesex Hospital in 1988 and remember being stood in awe as RTW did one of his amazing reconstructions. He had a very calm and reassuring manner and was a truly gifted surgeon but also modest enough to explain what was going on. Working amongst such revered surgeons so early in my career has left me with many fond memories of The Middlesex Hospital.
Mr turner warwick carried out bowel and bladder reconstruction on myself c 30 yes ago. Operation transformed my world from being reliant on catheters and stoma bags. I was only young at the time at 12 ish years old. Pleased I found this blog as now I can say a huge thank you to you mr turner warwick x
I would just like to thank Mr Turner-Warwick for the work he did on me in 1964-66, he corrected the drainage on my kidneys and I am still going strong at 70 with no kidney problems. I do not expect this to be published but if you could pass on my gratitude that would be fantastic.
Do take a look at this article in Trends in Urology about Richard by Dominic Hodgson: https://trendsinmenshealth.com/article/richard-turner-warwick-father-reconstructive-urology/
It tells the story of his life and career in a most engaging way.