The following tribute was written by Council member Dr. Cassio Eduardo Raposo do Amaral (Brazil).
Our global craniofacial community and SOBRAPAR Hospital in Campinas, Brazil deeply regret the recent loss of Dr. S. Anthony “Tony” Wolfe who passed away on December 26, 2023. Dr. Wolfe’s numerous visits to SOBRAPAR since the 1970’s leave a special and permanent impact on the surgical philosophies and regimens at our hospital.
Commencing with a one-year post-residency fellowship with Dr. Paul Tessier in 1974, Dr. Wolfe subsequently developed fruitful and lifelong friendships with his craniofacial surgical colleagues and peers dedicating his professional life to all aspects of craniofacial surgery including research, education, and comprehensive care for all patients, especially those presenting with trauma, tumors, and congenital deformities. During his long medical career, Dr. Wolfe traveled to and performed operations in many countries and was always ready and willing to share the extensive knowledge he acquired from Dr. Tessier, along with his own unique understanding and expertise in craniofacial surgery, with colleagues and peers who sought his advice.
Dr. Wolfe was always interested in discussing difficult and complex cases, debating potential surgical outcomes, and adopting new techniques to obtain optimized results, decrease complication rates, and more effectively destigmatize a patient’s syndromic face. To that end, he always standardized his patients’ photographs, which enabled detailed comparison and long-term evaluation, which he demonstrated in lectures all over the world.
His articles and books on craniofacial surgery are “must-read” material for all craniofacial surgeons. Besides his numerous articles and books, the 2005 craniofacial supplement written in the PRS journal by Dr. Wolfe and other disciples of Dr. Tessier certainly belongs on the surgeon’s bedside table. Among the vast number of important articles that he authored over the course of his medical practice, Dr. Wolfe also wrote a landmark manuscript published in the 2019 PRS Journal addressing his extensive 42-year experience utilizing autogenous bone for craniofacial reconstruction without post-operative complication. The robust data from this manuscript currently guides many craniofacial surgeons worldwide.
Dr. Wolfe´s book, A Man from Héric, The Life and Work of Paul Tessier, MD, Father of Craniofacial Surgery, demonstrates his unparalleled respect for details, along with deep loyalty to craniofacial history, and to his mentor Dr. Tessier. He gave me a personally signed copy of this book with the inscription “Keep the flame burning” which serves as an inspiration when facing the daily challenges of craniofacial surgery.
In addition to his numerous leadership positions and memberships in other professional societies, Dr. Wolfe was a founding member and former president (2005-2007) of the International Society of Craniofacial Surgery (ISCFS), and in conjunction with SOBRAPAR Hospital, organized the 2007 ISCFS International Congress in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. He was a close friend of my father, the late Dr. Cassio Raposo do Amaral, and came to Brazil many times to operate, lecture, and subsequently travel around the country accompanied by their mutual lifelong friends Drs. Kawamoto and Tessier.
I feel personally privileged and am deeply grateful to have had a chance to witness Dr. Wolfe practicing his profession over the past three decades. His life as a craniofacial surgeon will serve as a wonderful example of motivation, dedication, and determination for future generations of craniofacial surgeons. His legacy will never be forgotten and his memory will live on with his loving family.
