Two internationally renowned physicians and influencers of opinion, interventional radiologist Johannes Lammer and vascular surgeon Peter Taylor, have retired from active practice. Both Lammer and Taylor retired in early April.
Lammer, who originally wanted to be a filmmaker turned to interventional radiology almost by happenstance. In 2005, he told Interventional News: “The decision to go into medical school came about because in the summer I finished high school, the Austrian Government decided that those who were going to medical school did not have to join the army. I thought medical school was therefore a good option.”
Since 1992, Johannes Lammer has been head of the department of Angiography, now Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology in Vienna University Hospital, Vienna, Austria, and has been actively committed to furthering the cause of interventional radiology. A long-standing, active and highly valued member of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe, he has served as its treasurer, secretary and president. Lammer has strongly advocated the concept of evidence-based medicine with more than 300 peer-reviewed publications in journals such as Radiology, Circulation, The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, CardioVascular and Interventional Radiology and Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. He also serves on the editorial boards of several leading journals in the field.
His research interests include CT and MR angiography of coronary and peripheral arteries, interventional radiology treatment of peripheral vascular and aortic diseases, as well as hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases.
Lammer has received a number of awards and honours throughout his career, including honorary membership of the Austrian Society of Radiology, the Austrian Society of Interventional Radiology, the Hungarian Society of Interventional Radiology and the Turkish Society of Radiology. He has also received Honorary Fellowship of the British Society of Interventional Radiology and the Gold Medal of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe.
Taylor, consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK, was all set for a career in music alongside his three brothers before he decided to become a doctor. “Both my parents were musicians and they sent their first three sons to Durham Cathedral Choir School where we were choristers,” he said.
Taylor was taught by Ronald Smith, a great pianist who specialised in works by Alkan. “My father encouraged us all to play a stringed instrument and I played the violin in various orchestras. I gained a choral exhibition to Emmanuel College and sang regularly in the choir,” he stated when profiled in 2010.
His main interests were in carotid and aortic intervention, particularly the endovascular treatment of aortic dissection. Taylor has taken part in major randomised trials such as the UK Small Aneurysm Trial, the EVAR trials and the Asymptomatic Carotid Surgery Trial and recent research includes the investigation of patients with aortic dissection using functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Taylor was the 2008–9 president of the Vascular Society of Great Britain and Ireland and is the author of nearly a 100 peer reviewed papers published in a variety of journals. He is the convenor of Thoracic Masterclass held annually at Guy’s along with John Reidy, consultant interventional radiologist at the same hospital. Taylor refers to his successful collaboration with Reidy as the “the greatest influence. Together we navigated our way through the endovascular revolution and in particular found a unique niche in thoracic aortic endovascular work,” he said.
Taylor was named a distinguished fellow of the Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe in 2013 and a fellow of the British Society of Interventional Radiologists in 2010. He is co-chairman of the Charing Cross International Symposium.
