John Ewart Alfred Wickham (10 December 1927 – 26 October 2017) was a British

urologist Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...

and surgeon, who was a pioneer of

keyhole surgery Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or pelvis using small incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few small cuts in the abdomen.Medlin ...

and the autonomous transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) robot, foreseeing the subsequent revolution in robotic surgery.

Early life

John Wickham was born on 10 December 1927 to Alfred Wickham and Hilda (née Cummins). Alfred died when John was five years old, which resulted in a move to Littlehampton. He was educated at Chichester Grammar School where his interest in engines and cars developed. Later, Wickham gained a place at St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School to study medicine.John Wickham.
''The Times'', 10 November 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.

Early surgical career

Wickham's original ambition was to practice in

neurology Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal ...

and

neurosurgery Neurosurgery or neurological surgery, known in common parlance as brain surgery, is the medical specialty concerned with the surgical treatment of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and pe ...

, but after working with Ralph Shackman at

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the London Borough ...

, he diverted his interest to renal medicine. He ran the early Necker dialysis unit with Geoff Chisolm, following which he pursued his interest in urology under Alec Badenoch and Ian Todd. Wickham was later awarded the

Fulbright scholarship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people ...

, which led him to

Lexington, Kentucky Lexington is a city in Kentucky, United States that is the county seat of Fayette County. By population, it is the second-largest city in Kentucky and 57th-largest city in the United States. By land area, it is the country's 28th-largest ...

and the experience in intra-operative cooling for ischemic

renal The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; bloo ...

surgery. In 1985 he was awarded the BAUS's St Peter's Medal.

Robotics

Wickham is considered the "godfather" of robotics in urological surgery and also coined the term "

minimally invasive surgery Minimally invasive procedures (also known as minimally invasive surgeries) encompass surgical techniques that limit the size of incisions needed, thereby reducing wound healing time, associated pain, and risk of infection. Surgery by definitio ...

".John Wickham.
British Association of Urological Surgeons. Retrieved 14 November 2017. In April 1991, soft tissue was removed from a patient by an active robot, the PROBOT. Wickham, along with Malcolm Coptcoat, performed the first European laparoscopic kidney removal at King's College Hospital, London in 1991; the first laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in the world. He encouraged international networking amongst urologists and founded the European Intrarenal Surgical Society (EIRSS) in 1983 with Peter Alken of Mainz, and Joe Segura from the

Mayo Clinic The Mayo Clinic () is a nonprofit American academic medical center focused on integrated health care, education, and research. It employs over 4,500 physicians and scientists, along with another 58,400 administrative and allied health staf ...

. He was an early advocate for the use of

percutaneous nephrolithotomy Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) is a minimally-invasive procedure to remove stones from the kidney by a small puncture wound (up to about 1 cm) through the skin. It is most suitable to remove stones of more than 2 cm in size and wh ...

in the United Kingdom, insisting that

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

patients and urology trainees have access to the secured Dornier HM1 Lithotripsy machine in the private sector. He was also the first to introduce

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive, out-patient alternative to surgery for those with many joint and tendon disorders. ESWT sends acoustic shock waves into bone or soft tissue, in effect reinjuring the area on a cellular l ...

to the UK. Wickham's impact across specialties is reflected in the widespread use of minimally invasive surgery. He introduced

, and laparoscopic nephrectomy to the UK. The founding president of the Endo-Urology Society, he was also a pioneer with the Minimally Invasive Society. Wickham was frequently frustrated at the slow rate of uptake of "minimally invasive surgery" by his colleagues and told ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' ( ...

'', "We still have far too many surgeons who believe that unless you cut a hole big enough to get your head in, you cannot see well enough to perform a proper operation". After his retirement in 1992, Wickham invented the

Syclix Syclix is a surgical tool used in minimally invasive surgical procedures, inspired by surgeon John Wickham and designed by Random Design Ltd. It was the winner of the 2006 Horner’s Plastics Innovation and Design Award. Rather than using a ring ...

, a surgical instrument with a pen-like grip to grab tissue. For this he was awarded the Horners Award in 2006 and for overall outstanding contributions to laparoscopic urology, the Cheselden medal from the

Royal College of Surgeons of England The Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) is an independent professional body and registered charity that promotes and advances standards of surgical care for patients, and regulates surgery and dentistry in England and Wales. T ...

in 2013.

Death and legacy

Wickham died of

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, h ...

on 26 October 2017. He is quoted as saying "I hope our efforts over these years may have had some small impact in reducing unnecessary surgical injury to our ever trusting patients."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wickham, John 1927 births 2017 deaths British urologists People from Chichester Recipients of the St Peter's Medal