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In Memoriam: Hsi-Yao Chen, MD, FAIUM, 1922–2012, The Father of Modern Obstetrics and Pioneer of Diagnostic Ultrasound in Taiwan

2012; Elsevier BV; Volume: 39; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2012.09.010

1879-291X

Yi‐Hong Chou, Chui‐Mei Tiu, Fong‐Jou Hsieh, Candy Tsai-Chin Chen,

History of Medical Practice

Hsi-Yao Chen, MD (Fig. 1), Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at National Taiwan University (NTU) School of Medicine, a pioneer of diagnostic ultrasound, passed away in Taipei, Taiwan, on February 16, 2012, after a full and wonderful life of 90 years. Professor Chen was born into a Christian family in Taipei, a son of Mrs. Bi-Chu Shaw Chen and Mr. Hsi-Tsun Chen, a leading missionary in the Presbyterian church of Taiwan. Professor Chen received his college education in Kanazawa University, Japan (1940–1943), earned his first BS degree in pharmacology, and then entered the medical college (1943–1946). After World War II, he returned to Taiwan and graduated from the College of Medicine, NTU, in 1947. He subsequently received clinical training in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of NTU Hospital and joined the faculty of the department in 1954. He was appointed as an Associate Professor in 1963 and was promoted to Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with tenure in 1970. Professor Chen introduced the practice of clinical diagnostic ultrasound to Taiwan from a small room in the central hallway of NTU Hospital in 1969 and pursued a career in medical ultrasound education at NTU School of Medicine from that time forth. He collaborated with Dr. Fon-Jou Hsieh, one of his students and an outstanding ultrasound researcher, exploring the use of diagnostic grayscale ultrasound in the field of obstetrics and gynecology in Taiwan. In the following years he consecutively introduced new generations of ultrasound instruments to Taiwan, including the real-time scanner, Doppler ultrasound, transvaginal ultrasound, and three-dimensional ultrasound, to keep the medical ultrasound expertise of Taiwan at the forefront of health care. In addition to obstetrics and gynecology, the use of diagnostic ultrasound rapidly spread to surgery, urology, radiology, internal medicine, and further. In 1984 Professor Chen founded the Society of Ultrasound in Medicine of the Republic of China, known now as the Taiwan Society of Ultrasound in Medicine (TSUM), uniting ultrasound researchers, educators, and practitioners from all medical centers and subspecialties in Taiwan. Professor Chen made great efforts, with political aplomb, to solidify relationships between TSUM and the Asian Federation for Societies of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (AFSUMB) and then with the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB). TSUM is currently the second largest society in AFSUMB. With its sizable membership, TSUM contributes substantially to AFSUMB and WFUMB. The Journal of Medical Ultrasound, the official journal of TSUM, has served as the official journal of AFSUMB since 1996. The 1998 AFSUMB congress was held in Taiwan, under Professor Chen's presidency (Fig. 2). TSUM is also scheduled to host the 2017 WFUMB assembly. Professor Chen served as Vice President of AFSUMB (1989–1992), President-Elect (1992–1995), President (1995–1998), and Immediate Past-President (1998–2001). He joined WFUMB serving as an Administrative Councilor (1994–1997) and as Vice President (1997–2000). Throughout his service he contributed substantially to the development of medical ultrasound in Asia and the world. Professor Chen is the author of more than 160 scientific papers. He was presented with the Award of Outstanding Education and Research by the Kao Tien-Cheng Foundation in 1969. His many research interests included ultrasound in high-risk pregnancies and the application of three-dimensional and Doppler ultrasound in obstetrics. His visionary interests in promoting the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of obstetric and pelvic disease also stimulated education and training programs for medical specialists, which produced several thousand graduates who now practice in Taiwan. Teaching was his major love, both during the day-to-day practice of ultrasound and in lectures and conferences. He was an influential educator and engendered great enthusiasm for the use of ultrasound in high-risk pregnancies. One of his most outstanding contributions to health care in Taiwan was the improvement of labor safety and the construction of the sonographic fetal weight table, which is still used today (Chen and Chen, 1956Chen Y.P. Chen H.Y. We i PY. A roentgenological study of the Chinese female pelvis.Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1956; 72: 1015-1020Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (1) Google Scholar). Indeed, it is his excellence as a mentor that endeared Professor Chen to generations of celebrated ultrasound experts in Taiwan. Among his outstanding students are Professor Fon-Jou Hsieh, Professor Fong-Ming Chang, and Professor Jin-Chung Shih, who have also made significant contributions in the field of medical ultrasound. Professor Chen was a venerable, selfless, gentle man with a humble character. He was also a deeply religious man. He was active in his local community church. He loved to sing, especially after his working hours. He had many close friendships with people in Asia and in the Western world. On hearing the sad news of his passing, many friends from overseas sent their deepest sympathies. Dr. Barry B. Goldberg (Professor of Radiology, Division of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA) looks upon Professor Chen as a friend as well as a respected advisor. Professor Kazuo Maeda, best friend of Professor Chen and Honorary Professor of Torrori University, Japan, also an internationally well-known expert in diagnostic ultrasound of obstetrics and gynecology, traveled to Taiwan to participate in Professor Chen's funeral, and he delivered a personal message at the memorial service. He recalled all the efforts Professor Chen had made in building friendship between the Taiwanese and Japanese, and then the Korean, ultrasound and obstetric and gynecology communities. Professor Hiroki Watanabe (Professor of Urology, Principal of Kyoto Central Nursing School, Kyoto, Japan, Past-President of WFUMB, AFSUMB, and JSUM; Watanabe, 2001Watanabe H. History of WFUMB and AFSUMB.J Med Ultrasound. 2001; 9: 167-175Google Scholar) remembered his first visit to Taiwan in 1986, when he met Professor Chen. He was surprised by Chen's fluent “classical” Japanese. He also emphasized Chen's efforts to forge a positive relationship between the Chinese (People's Republic of China Medical Association) and TSUM. Dear friends from AFSUMB and WFUMB, Kittipong Vairojanavong, Harald Lutz, and Peter N. T. Wells, recalled the wonderful days they spent working with Professor Chen in Taiwan in the 1980s. Christy Holland expressed her deepest sympathy for the great loss to TSUM and to Professor Chen's family. She wrote that Professor Chen was a great educator and praised his contributions to building a wonderfully vibrant ultrasound society in Taiwan. Other friends from AFSUMB and WFUMB, Dorita P. Evangelista, Hassen A. Gharbi, Musarrat Hasan, and Byung Ihn Choi, conveyed their condolences to members of TSUM. Prof. Chen dearly loved life, his work, and his family. He is survived by his two grandsons, Jun-Yu and Jun-Ju. He will be sadly missed by his family, the Taiwan ultrasound community, and members and friends of TSUM, AFSUMB, and WFUMB.