Drake Lecture Focuses on “Physical Genius” Dr. Charles Wilson

The Charles G. Drake History of Surgery Lecture will be delivered by Brian T. Andrews, MD, FACS, today at 2:30 pm in Room 153 Upper Mezzanine Level South.

Dr. Andrews will focus on Charles B. Wilson, MD, FACS (1929-2018), a prominent neurosurgeon proud of his one-quarter Cherokee heritage, known for his intense work ethic and ultra-precise surgical skills. Dr. Wilson also is remembered for being the subject of a 1999 article from The New Yorker, in which he was described, along with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, as a “physical genius.”

A native of Neosho, Missouri, Dr. Wilson earned his medical degree at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, and spent more than 30 years at the helm of the Division of Neurosurgery at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). There, he became particularly well-known for his skill at excising pituitary tumors via transsphenoidal resection, a surgery he did not innovate but rather perfected, eventually performing more than 3,300 such resections.

Dr. Andrews, who is the founder of Pacific Neurosurgery and chairman of the California Pacific Neuroscience Institute at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, completed a residency under Dr. Wilson between 1982 and 1987.

Eventually, this experience led to friendship: “We weren't close when I was a resident, but later in life, we became very friendly, and I would go pick him up, take him to lunch, and we'd spend time together,” Dr. Andrews recollected.

As a result of his long-lasting, multifaceted knowledge of Dr. Wilson, Dr. Andrews wrote the 2011 book Cherokee Neurosurgeon: A Biography of Charles Byron Wilson, M.D. His lecture will reflect the insights of that book and his personal experiences.

Dr. Andrews’s admiration for the pioneering neurosurgeon is clear. This is particularly true with respect to Dr. Wilson’s undisputedly outstanding work ethic (which included performing up to 15 surgeries per week in a totally silent OR) and physical skill. “He had a very wonderful vision and adeptness physically,” Dr. Andrews explained. “He was very good with fine hand coordination and hand-eye coordination in a very microscopic fashion, so his powers were suitable to the era of microsurgery, which he taught himself how to do.”

The lecture will cover this and other aspects of Dr. Wilson’s life and will include a focus on what surgeons might gain from knowing about this remarkable surgeon.

Dr. Charles Drake was a Canadian neurosurgeon who became internationally renowned for his work to advance the treatment of aneurysms. The ACS Advisory Council for Neurological Surgery established the Charles G. Drake History of Surgery Lecture in 1992 to honor this surgeon leader.

This session will be available on demand for registrants to view soon after its conclusion.