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In Rememberance of Dr. Setti Rengachary
by Praveen V. Mummaneni, M.D., Raj K. Narayan, M.D., Ashwini Sharan,
M.D., Shekar Kurpad, M.D., and Jogi Pattisapu, M.D.
Dr. Setti Rengachary was born in India on October 4, 1937. He attended medical
school at the Madurai College of Medicine. Subsequently, he completed a surgical
internship at the State University of New York in Syracuse. Dr. Rengachary
went on to complete a preresidency fellowship at Harvard and a residency in
neurosurgery at the University of Kansas. He then joined the faculty at KU
as chief of neurosurgery at the VA medical center in Kansas City in 1971.
Dr. Rengachary was board certified by the ABNS in 1973. He was a dedicated
teacher and attained the rank of full Professor. During his long career he
also served on the faculty of the University of Missouri, the University
of
Minnesota, and Wayne State University(1). While at the University of
Minnesota, he was the editor (along with Dr. Robert Wilkins) of several classic
textbooks including NEUROSURGERY, PRINCIPLES OF NEUROSURGERY, and THE
NEUROSURGICAL OPERATIVE ATLAS. He finished his long academic career as
Associate Chairman and Professor of Neurosurgery at Wayne State University in
Detroit, Michigan and retired in December 2007.
Dr. Rengachary was a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and served a tour at the
410th Evacuation Hospital in Saudi Arabia during Operation20Desert Storm. He
continued in the tradition of neurosurgeons serving to treat the wounded during
war time; a tradition that was initiated by Harvey Cushing during World War I.
This bit of neurosurgery history meant a great deal to Dr. Rengachary as he
loved the historical aspects of neurology and neurosurgery. He served as a
chairman of the History Section of the AANS. During the last year of his life,
Dr. Rengachary remained keenly interested in academic pursuits and co-authored
several manuscripts on the historical aspects of neurosurgery in the Journal of
Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery, Neurosurgical Focus, and Surgical Neurology. He
often said that neurosurgery (and its history) was his main hobby.
Dr. Rengachary encouraged many young Indian neurosurgeons to pursue academic
careers. He was one of the first academic U.S. neurosurgeons of Indian heritage,
and he led b y example. He was also one of theearly members of the American
Association of South Asian Neurosurgeons (AASAN), and he volunteered his time
and energy to sustain its educational efforts.
Dr. Rengachary passed away in December 2008 following a courageous fight with
metastatic adenocarcinoma. He is survived by his wife, Dr. Dhana Rengachary, his
daughter, Usha, and his son, Dave. The American Association of South Asian
Neurosurgeons (AASAN) honors the memory of Dr. Setti S. Rengachary. Many members
of the AASAN have volunteered their time and energy in the spirit of Dr. Setti
S. Rengachary in order to carry on his vision to the next generation in
training.
Reference:
1. Manjila S. OBITUARY: A Eulogy for Dr. Setti S. Rengachary,
1937-2008. Neurol India. 56 (4). Oct-Dec 2008
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