*5. 07. 1948 Usbekistan – *15. 05. 2021 Moscow
Prof. MD, Director of N.N.Burdenko National Medical Research Center of Neurosurgery
Klaus R.H. von Wild

With dismay and great sadness we lament the unforeseen death of our very special personal friend Sascha Potapov. We met in London in 1997 after his very remarkable lecture as an invited guest speaker. I was really impressed by his great clinical neurotraumatological knowledge and experience in the difficult assessment and intensive care treatment / neurorehabilitation of Brain injured with so-called permanent vegetative syndrome (PVS). Prof. Bryan Jennett, who has coined this term “PVS” was Guest of Honour. In fact, this very special symposium turned out to be trend-setting for further scientific discussion and clinical practice in the PV syndrome. This international scientific discussion round was organized on invitation of Prof. Dr Keith Andrews, Director of Medical and Research Services, Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney for severe head injury London, whom we later met again in Moscow as a consultant of Prof. Potapov alongside other international neurotraumatology specialists, like Prof. A.L. Christensen, Copenhagen, who had worked before and published with neuropsychologist Prof. A.L. Luria at the Burdenko Institute, Prof. T. Kanno FHU Nagoya and Prof. Y.Katayama, Tokyo, both world leaders in functional electrical brain- stem stimulation.In the following years I was grateful for his willing and active scientific support in the publication of the EFNS Guidelines (see personal ref.: 2- 4 attached hereby).

In the following years, Prof. Potapov had purposefully perfected his English in a short time; he had a lasting impact as a neurotraumatologist not only on the WFNS activities but also Russian and European societies. European and World Academies for multidisciplinary neurotraumatology, EMN and AMN both, of which he became a deserving honorary member, and the German Academy of Neurosurgeons(GANS). For more than two decades Our EMN owes especially to Prof. Potapov, immediately after its establishment, the hoped-for opening and personal , now so fruitful scientific cooperation and exchange in Central and Eastern Europe and the hoped-for reconciliation with our Russian colleagues.

For more than two decades, my friend Sascha shaped scientifically as a personality and a knowledgeable nurotraumatologist our EMN and AMN, generously supported by his mentor and boss, Prof. A. Konovalov, EMN honorary member. In particular, with him as Congress president at his 6th EMN Congresses 2001 at Burdenko, assisted by his EMN colleagues, became an exemplary, trend-setting milestone for me and all international participants, characterized by great expertise and outstanding personal hospitality. A really unique, unforgettable memory in a lifetime! Thanks to his high reputation, he kept opening new doors for me in the neuroscience of his country with interesting encounters, namely in Moscow and St. Petersburg. And he showed us, supported by his wife Dr. Matrina, the cultural assets and beauties of his homeland on special excursions. It was a pleasure and always new inspiration for me when we met and exchanged friends at international congresses around the world. I would like to remind you in particular of the private tours he arranged , for example his multi-day high-ranking international neurotraumatological symposium on a Volga cruise, his private special tours through the state rooms in Moscow Kremlin, and the EMN – conference midnight boat trip “night on the open canals” in St. Petrsburg” On the other hand, in addition to the congresses and symposia in Moscow, there were always opportunities for joyful encounters and personal exchange in Germany, such as here in Münster or at the convention of GANS academy, most recently in Baden Baden and Hamburg to name a few.

Ineffable that all of this has now suddenly come to an end. Together with my wife Monika we pray for the soul of our deceased friend Sascha and we include his family in our blessings.

His beneficial work in his life and clinical-scientific work will remain unforgettable and I will gratefully keep an honorable memory of my friend Sasche as long as I live.

References:

1. http://www.theismins.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AlecxenderPotapov.pdf
1989- 2014 Deputy Director, Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute 1992 Professor of Neurosurgery 1995-2005 Member of international committees of WFNS and EANS (European Association of Neurosurgeons), UK Royal Medical Academy for development of international guidelines for the management of patients with different neurosurgical pathology 1997 President of the International Neurotrauma Symposium (Moscow) 1999-present Invited speaker of the Educational Committee of the WFNS 2000-present Professor of the Chair for neurosurgery at the Russian Medical Academy of Post-Graduate Education (RMAPE) 2001 President of the 6th EMN (Euroacademy for Multidisciplinary Neurotraumatology) Congress 2002-present Scientific Secretary of the Association of Neurosurgeons of Russia 2006-2012 Head of Team for developing the Russian Guidelines for rendering high-technology medical assistance 2005-2008 Head of the working party for development of the Russian high-standard Guidelines for neurosurgery 2008,2010,2012 President of the international conference “Mental Recovery after TBI (Moscow, St-Petersburg, Moscow) 2007 Academician of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences (RAMS) 2010 President of ICRAN-2010 (International conference on recent advances in neurotraumatology, StPetersburg, Russia) 2011 Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) 2014-2019 Director of the Burdenko neurosurgery institute 2019-present Director for science, NN Burdenko national medical research center of neurosurgery. (http://www.theismins.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/AlecxenderPotapov.pdf)
2. Vos PE, Battistin L, Birbamer G, Gerstenbrand F, Potapov A, Prevec T, Stepan ChA, Traubner P, Twijnstra A, Vecsei L, von Wild K; 2006 EFNS guideline on mild traumatic brain injury: report of an EFNS task force.. In: (eds) .R. Hughes, M. Brainin, N. E. Gilhus European Handbook of Neurological Management, Blackwell ISBN 1-4051-3050-4
3 von Wild K , Gerstenbrand F, Dolce G. Binder,H, Vos PE, Saltuari L, Alekseenko, Y,Formisano R, Titz A, Ortega- Suhrkamp E,Jörg JR, Potapov AA, León-Carrión J, Vilcinis R, Zitnay GA on behalf of the EFNS -AS/VS task force members: 2007 Guidelines for quality management of apallic syndrome/vegetative state Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg. No3:268-292
4. Vos PE, Alekseenko Y, Battistin L, Ehler E, Gerstenbrand F, Muresanu DF, Potapov A, Stepan CA, Traubner P, Vecsei L, von Wild K; 2012 European Federation of Neurological Societies. Mild traumatic brain injury. Eur J Neurol. Feb;19(2):191-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2011.03581.x.
5. von Wild, K, Gerstenbrand F, Potapov A.: 2015 Diskussion zu dem Beitrag Wachkoma und minimaler Bewusstseinszustand: Systematisches Review und Metaanalyse zu diagnostischen Verfahren Andreas Bender, Ralf J. Jox, Eva Grill, Andreas Straube, Dorothée Lulé .Deutsches Ärzteblatt Heft 14, Az.-Nr.: 204/2014 122: 235-42: Deutsches Ärzteblatt Jg 112, Heft 20, S. 680; 2. Okt. – Online Dtsch Arztbl Int 112, 20, 680, 2015( also in English)
6. Potapov A,Likterman L, von Wild KRH (eds): 2002 Neurtotrauma. Epidemiology, prevention, new technologies, guidelines, pathophysiology, surgery, neurorehabilitation N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, 4th Tverskaya-Yamskaya, 16, 125047 Moscow, RUS printed by Antidor Publishing House Moscow, RUS ISBN 5-93751-017 -8

EMN Personalia
News from July 7., 2008:

Alexander Potapov, Vice Director Russian Burdenko Neurosurgical Institute, 6th EMN 2001 Congress President, AMN representative Middle and East Europe, Member of he Russian Academy of Medical Science, celebrated his 60th anniversary in Moscow on July 5th together with his friends, following his most successful international congress (with more than 450 international participants from 22 countries) at the Burdenko and Moscow Marriot-Hotel on ”Mental recovery after TBI”.