On May 15, 2021, an outstanding world-known neurosurgeon, scientific director of the NN Burdenko National Medical Research Center of Neurosurgery, professor, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Potapov passed away.
Alexander Potapov was born on May 5th, 1948 , in the city of Altyaryk, former Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic (now Uzbekistan). He started his professional career as a neurointensivist in 1973. In 1984 Alexander Potapov turned his way towards neurosurgery. His entire professional journey was closely related to N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute (Moscow, Russia).
At the age of 36, he became the head of neurotraumatology department. Broad-minded, perspicacious, erudite, and decisive, this was exactly the leader that the young department required. He possessed an amazing medical intuition, outstripping knowledge and leading to the right path in an emergency.
Efficiency, concreteness, maximalism – this is the style of Alexander Potapov. He generously passed on knowledge to others and eagerly learned himself. Senior colleagues predicted a great future for him – and they were not mistaken. Alexander Potapov grew into a big neurosurgeon.
Alexander Potapov was characterized by a heightened sense of the new. Therefore he created his own school of modern neurotraumatology. He developed the theory of primary and secondary brain lesions, proposed conceptual approaches to the classification and treatment of focal and diffuse craniocerebral injury, the concept of prolonged head compression. He shaped reconstructive and minimally invasive surgery of TBI consequences and complications with scientific and technological content. In recent years, professor Potapov and his students have studied the plasticity of the injured brain, metabolic neuronavigation, and mass spectrometry, with particular attention to the development of precision surgery for glial tumors.
Alexander Potapov – a world-renowned scientist – Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honored Researcher of the Russian Federation, twice laureate of the State Prize of Russia, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Presidium, Vice President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (2009-2013), President of the Russian Association of Neurosurgeons (since 2018), International Advisory board member of the Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons (ACNS), Member of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Neuro-traumatology Committee, Chairman of Publication & Web Committee of WFNS, member of the Liaison Committee WFNS/World Health Organization (WHO), trauma section of the European Association of Neurosurgical societies (EANS), the executive board member of the International Society on Minimally Invasive Techniques in Neurosurgery (ISMINS) and Member of Euroacademia Multidisciplinaria Neurotraumatologica (EMN). Professor Alexander Potapov was also the Advisory Boards member of international neurosurgical journals. He participated in countless number of international conferences as the international advisory member and plenary speaker especially in the past International conferences of the WFNS, EANS, ACNS, ISMIN, EMN, etc.
From 2014 to 2019, he was the director of the National Center for Neurosurgery named after N.N. Burdenko, and since 2019 – his scientific advisor. He accomplished a lot and achieved a lot but remained the same – approachable, responsive, conscientious, with a straightforward expression of joy and indignation. Both young and senior colleagues were drawn to him, and everyone knew: professor Potapov would support, professor Potapov would help.
Professor Potapov is the author of over 400 scientific papers (including over 20 books) published in Russia and abroad. Under his leadership, 60+ national standards for high-tech medical care were developed, covering the main spectrum of neurosurgical pathology. Professor Potapov educated the school of neurosurgeons: several dozen candidate and doctoral dissertations were prepared under his supervision.
His life is an example of ministry with daily grueling battles for the salvation of patients.
Relatives, friends, and colleagues farewelled Alexander Potapov on May 18, 2021.