May 3rd was the centenary of birth of Professor Walter Ghezzi. He was born in Passo Fundo, RS and attended school in that city. He subsequently came to Porto Alegre, where he graduated from Medical School in 1939 at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). He defended his thesis, becoming a Professor of Anatomy at the School of Medicine of UFRGS.
After a brief period in the state countryside and internships in Uruguay, Argentina and Sao Paulo, he returned to Porto Alegre, starting his career as a coloproctologist in 1942. He later completed his internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. In our specialty, was undoubtedly a pioneer. At that time, coloproctology was not seen as a specialty, being occasionally practiced only by some general surgeons.
By developing contacts both in Brazil and abroad, within a short time he was able to characterize the specialty in our country, always defending exclusive dedication to it. To him we owe the creation of Coloproctology in Rio Grande do Sul.
Professor Ghezzi developed teaching activities at the School of Medicine of UFRGS as an anatomy teacher. He was professor of the specialty at the formerly Fundação Faculdade Federal de Ciências Médicas of Porto Alegre and also at School of Medicine of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, where he was also the Coordinator of the Department of Surgery.
In the context of the professional association activities, he was always an indefatigable collaborator. He was President of the Medical Association of Rio Grande do Sul, the Brazilian Society of Coloproctology and the Latin-American Association of Coloproctology. In 1967, on its own initiative, the Department of Proctology of the Medical Association of Rio Grande do Sul was created, the embryo of the current Association, which completes fifty years of uninterrupted activity this year. During the annual meeting of this association, the Walter Ghezzi Award is given to the best work presented as a Poster or Oral Presentation, a fair tribute to the one who created and developed the specialty, including facilitating the training of new professionals.
He was married to Ana Luiza Pedreira Ghezzi and they had three children, Henrique, a coloproctologist, Marta, an architect, and Alberto, an engineer.
On the centenary of his birth, Professor Walter Ghezzi, undoubtedly an icon of Brazilian coloproctology, is remembered as a pioneer, teacher, and mentor, by all who knew him in life and by all who came after and who also enjoy his legacy.
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
Apr-Jun 2017
