Dr. Labib Abou Zahr graduated from AUB with the MD Degree
in 1943. He then completed a full residency in OB-GYN before traveling
to the United States for further training. In the US he completed
fellowships in OB-GYN, ENT, trauma and surgery. He returned to Lebanon
and in 1948, joined his brother, the late Dr. Fouad Abou Zahr, a cardiologist,
and expanded the role of the Al-Ahly Hospital in Sidon to include
the surgical specialties. In 1950 he was appointed Chief of Surgery
at the Sidon Government Hospital. He and the late Dr. John Wilson
are credited for starting the affiliation between AUBMC and the Sidon
Government Hospital in 1961.
Thanks to Dr. Abou Zahr, the surgical rotation
at the Sidon Government Hospital was considered to be the best. He
gave a lot of his time supervising and teaching the residents but
at the same time, he gave them the freedom to manage their patients
and to assist each other in surgery, a practice which made residents
develop self-confidence. He also took the residents to his private
hospital and allowed them to operate on his own private patients,
under his supervision. I vividly remember when, after finishing the
OR schedule at the Government Hospital, we would go to his hospital
and do his cases there and on the way back, he would take us to his
home and feed us. He trained generations of residents. After he retired
in 1973, the teaching at the Sidon Government Hospital suffered and
soon after the affiliation ended.
Dr. Abou Zahr lives in Sidon with his lovely wife
Hana. He has three children, Lubna who lives in The Wooldlands, Texas
with her husband Dr. Wael Assi, Labib Jr., an alumnus, is a well established
cardiothoracic surgeon in Canada, and Muine manages the Labib Medical
Center in Sidon.
Dr. Labib, the multitude of residents who were
fortunate to serve under your guidance and tutelage want to thank
you and extend to you their everlasting appreciation.
Dr.
Afif Nsouli graduated in 1946 and then spent 5 years in training
in the Department under the tutelage of Dr. Joseph McDonald. In
1951 he went to the United States and specialized in Orthopedic
Surgery in the New York Orthopedic Hospital, which was part of the
Columbia Presbyterian College of Physicians and Surgeons. He
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returned
to AUB in 1954 as the first fully trained orthopedic surgeon in Lebanon
and the Middle East and established the orthopedic surgery program
at AUB. He also helped the Makassed Hospital establish their program
in 1960. In 1960, he became a member of the American College of Surgeons.
He has been a member of the Department since 1954 and was its only
orthopedic surgeon until 1961when he was joined by Dr. Suheil Boulos.
Dr.
Nsouli has wonderful memories of his years as a resident at AUB and
talks fondly of Dr. Joseph McDonald and how much he learned from him.
For those who do not know Dr. McDonald, he was a plastic surgeon.
Dr. Nsouli recalls an incident which happened to him during his first
week as a junior resident in orthopedic surgery at the New York Orthopedic
Hospital. He was assisting a famous orthopedic surgeon operate on
a fractured tibia. At the end of the procedure, the surgeon was unable
to close the incision because of swelling and, in those days, did
not know what to do. Dr. Nsouli stepped in and applied what he learned
from Dr. McDonald: he made a posterior releasing skin incision, which
made closure of the operative incision possible and then applied a
split thickness skin graft to cover the posterior defect. One can
imagine the impression he left at the New York Orthopedic Hospital.
I
vividly remember how great it was to scrub with Dr. Nsouli. He was
cool and improvising and always came up with excellent results. Of
course, he never remembered our names. He trained us all and trained
us well.
Dr.
Nsouli retired from surgical work in 1999. He remains a member of
the Division of Orthopedic Surgery and a regular attendee of the Surgical
Grand Rounds, the Orthopedic Conferences and meetings. He continues
to contribute and keeps the younger generation on line. He lives in
Beirut with his lovely wife Yusr. They have 5 daughters, two living
in Beirut and 3 abroad. His daughter Lena is married to Dr. Tarif
Nsouli, an alumnus and an established orthopedic surgeon in Atlanta.
Dr.
Nsouli, your students, many of whom are now your colleagues, thank
you for the positive influence you had on their careers and wish you
a long and happy life so you can continue to be around for them and
for generations of residents to come.
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