When A. John Popp, MD, contemplated a theme for the 2004 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), taking place May 1-6, a variety of interests beyond neurosurgery were brought to bear in his choice of “Advancing Patient Care Through Technology and Creativity.”
“At the core of the AANS Annual Meeting are of course the scientific sessions that shed light on the unknown,” said Dr. Popp. “The meeting also offers the latest in technology available on our exhibit floor, and hands-on techniques as demonstrated in our practical clinics. But it takes the particular mind of the neurosurgeon to synthesize all of the information, technology and techniques to make it all come together meaningfully in practice for patients.”
Dr. Popp, who enjoys carrying out the history and physical of new patients because it helps him make a connection with them, was first inspired in his patient-centered approach by the family doctor in his hometown of Perry, N.Y.
“Dr. Chapin was passionate about taking care of patients,” Dr. Popp remembered. “That’s why I went into medicine. I admired that he was knowledgeable about the practice of medicine, approachable, on call 365-7-an institution like the school and fire department, an icon of the community.”
Even so, Dr. Popp’s life took some interesting turns in the progress from Perry, a village near Buffalo once known for its textile mills, to Albany Medical College, where he currently is the Henry and Sally Schaffer Chair of Surgery.
In his youth he developed dual interests in music and baseball, whether practicing a Chopin Ballade or his knuckle-ball. He earned an academic scholarship to the University of Rochester, home of Eastman School of Music, where he was the starting pitcher. But after earning his A. B. degree in 1963, Dr. Popp decided to pursue neither piano nor pitching, choosing instead to study medicine at Albany Medical College.
Dr. Popp remembered that his introduction to neurosurgery was a revelation. “It wasn’t until a neurosurgeon came to my neuroanatomy class and talked about it that I became interested in this specialty,” he said. “I was immediately and strongly attracted to the high integration of neurosurgery with anatomy, and to the activist approach to patient care wherein problems are identified and solved.”
During medical school, Dr. Popp was able to travel to the Philippines to study parasitic illnesses in a remote village of the mountain province of Luzon, courtesy of a Smith Kline and French Fellowship. He continued this line of inquiry while serving his internship at The Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii, before returning to Albany to complete his surgical residency.
From 1969 to 1971 Dr. Popp served as a U.S. Air Force captain stationed at the Department of Surgery at Tachikawa Air Force Hospital. He then returned once again to Albany, this time for his neurosurgical residency, to study with Richard Lende, MD, and Robert Bourke, MD, after which he moved on to a fellowship in microvascular surgery at the Davis Medical Center in San Francisco. Dr. Popp has since specialized in the treatment of vascular lesions and brain tumors.
In 1975 Dr. Popp was named assistant professor of neurosurgery at Albany Medical Center. He involved himself in building a practice and in research, and in 1986 he was named to his current role as the Henry and Sally Schaffer Chair of Surgery. He additionally heads the neurosurgery training program and the Neurosciences Institute.
Over the years Dr. Popp has taken on a variety of leadership roles for medical societies, among them the New York State Neurosurgical Society, Society of Neurological Surgeons, American Board of Neurological Surgery and the Councill of State Neurosurgical Societies. At the AANSS he has held several offices in addition to his current role 2003-2004 AANS president, including serving as editor of the AANS Bulletin and chair of the AANS/CNS Washington Committee. Dr. Popp additionally is the recipient of many honors; most recently Albany Medical College honored him as the 2004 Distinguished Alumnus, and the Schaffer Foundation endowed a chair in his honor at the Neurosciences Institute.
Reflecting on more than 30 years in neurosurgery, Dr. Popp said that he most enjoys “the diversity of this career that allows one to pursue different aspects of neurosurgery: patient care, education, research, administration, and service.” While heavily involved in administration, he said that he mostly enjoys the clinical aspects of neurosurgery: evaluating new patients and doing neurosurgical operative procedures.
He is proudest, though, of his work as an educator. Dr. Popp has given innumerable national and international presentations and published many journal articles; he also is the author of two books.
In his work with young neurosurgeons he seeks to impart the art of listening, a skill well developed in the musician and in the clinician. “William Osler, who is revered for his clinical and diagnostic prowess, reportedly advised doctors that if they listen to the patient, the patient will give you the diagnosis,” said Dr. Popp. “My experience tells me that he was absolutely correct, and further, that connecting with patients, establishing a relationship with them, is an important part of providing them with the best care.”
Of his success in conveying this experience to his students, he commented, “I am touched when former residents say that they learned what is important in neurosurgery from me, such as how to talk with patients.”
He remarked upon the extent to which technological advances have changed the practice of neurosurgery since he embarked on his career. “When I started my residency, we often would spend all night doing angiograms for trauma patients looking for a subdural hematoma,” he said. “When CAT scans were introduced in the early 1970s, they totally changed the way we worked.”
While technology has advanced exponentially in the last 30 years, Dr. Popp believes that the makings of the excellent neurosurgeon have changed very little. “Technology is a wonderful tool, but it sometimes can be misleading,” he said. “Excellent neurosurgeons bring all of their experiences in aggregate to bear, including character, focus, talent, intelligence and commitment.”
Like the nervous system itself, neurosurgeons are able to puzzle together sometimes disparate information, comprehending it and making connections that lead to healing for a patient. “I have visualized my role as that of a conductor, taking in information from various sources, synthesizing it, and creating a particular course of treatment that is right for a patient,” he explained. “It is the consummate intellectual and spiritual challenges of neurosurgery that make this career such a rewarding one.”
Manda J. Seaver is staff editor of the Bulletin.