Rudolf Nissen's years in bosphorus and the pioneers of thoracic surgery inTurkey

Rudolph Nissen is one of the most distinguished pioneers in thoracic surger y, well known for his pneumonectomy operation performed for the first time in surgical history. He migrated to Istanbul like most of his contemporary colleagues, avoiding the fascist regime in Germany in the 1930s. He was ent husiastically welcomed in Turkey and appointed as the Chief of the First Su rgery Clinic in Istanbul University in 1933. He worked with discipline and in cooperation with his Turkish colleagues, such as Ahmed Burhaneddin Toker , Fahri Arel, Dervis Manizade, and others, who were to become the leading a uthorities of general thoracic surgery in Turkey. During his 6 years of res idence and working in Istanbul, he contributed highly to the practice of ge neral and thoracic surgery. He had to leave for the United States in 1939 f or treatment of his lung abscess due to a retained bullet from World War I. He stayed in New York and later in Basel until his death. He was presented an honorary professorship from Hacettepe University, Ankara in 1973. (C) 2 000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.