A1226. TRIBUTE TO HAP PAUL

Abstract

Hap Paul was a unique individual. It is appropriate that this award should go a unique paper presented at this year’s ISTA. The name “Hap” comes from his initials Howard A. Paul. He was an outstanding veterinarian, but he was also much more than that. He had an insatiable curiosity combined with a quick mind and a surgeon’s practicality. His first love was research. After graduating from high school in Connecticut, he went to Notre Dame as a swimmer. He graduated with a degree in Microbiology and a strong desire to “cure cancer”. Acting on his dreams, as he always did, he decided to go to Paris to work with one of the pioneers of Interferon research. Never mind that he didn’t have a job and did not know a word of French. Of course he got the job and learned French playing rugby (hence his awful accent and colorful vocabulary). The funding ran out for the Interferon research, but he somehow got a shot at a spot in the veterinary school in Paris. He got married and finished his veterinary training. The veterinary thing worked out, but the marriage didn’t. He returned to the US after 9 years living in France, to attend the UC Davis School of Veterinary Science as a surgical resident in the small animal area. He met his wife, Dr. Wendy Shelton there… but that is another story.

I met Hap when I was a new attending orthopaedic surgeon at UC Davis and looking to do some animal modeling of hip replacement revision techniques. He was an imposing figure: six feet four, big curly afro and wire glasses. He dressed like a Frenchman, wore big clogs and carried a purse. Needless to say I was intimidated initially. But, he had great joi de vive and lived up to his name… he was almost always happy.

Hip replacement in dogs began in the 1970’s, but was nearly abandoned by the early 1980’s because of infections and “luxations” (dislocations). In order to develop an animal model we had to develop instruments and techniques that incorporated “third generation” cementing techniques. This we did, but Hap took these instruments and began using them clinically on working dogs. He developed quite a reputation for resurrecting hip replacements for dogs in the US and internationally. Hap and I went on to develop dog models for CT-based custom implants and later surgical robotics (eventually leading to the development of Robodoc). Despite our academic interests, both Hap and I went into private practice in the mid 1980’s… separately, of course (he as a veterinary orthpaedic surgeon and I specialized in hip and knee replacements for humans). Our research in surgical robotics took off when we landed a huge grant from IBM. But then the sky fell in when we learned that Hap had developed lymphoma. After surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, he was in remission, but temporarily couldn’t perform surgery due to a peripheral neuropathy attributed to Vincristine. So Hap went to the lab at UC Davis to work directly with the robotics team. He was a slave driver… but a pleasant one. Certainly the basic research behind Robodoc could not have been done without Hap getting lymphoma.

Over 5 years (1986–91) we both had a ball working with some of the best minds in robotics and imaging research. We presented our research on CT-based customs and robotics at many international venues, and Hap made many friends… some are in the audience today. He was one of the founders of this organization (ISTA). Hap returned to veterinary practice when he could finally work with his hands again… but this was not for long. Soon our research lead to the founding of Integrated Surgical Services (ISS) in 1991, the makers of Robodoc. Hap agreed to leave his practice to lead the company and I stayed in clinical practice to develop and utilize the device on patients. In 1992, we shocked the world by being the first to use an active robot in human surgery. It looked like the dawning of a new age. (I still believe it is, but it has been a very slow dawn).

For Hap, the joy was short-lived. He developed leukemia as a complication of his prior chemotherapy. He died while recovering from a bone marrow transplant on Feb. 10, 1993 at the young age of 44. During his short life he contributed tremendously to the benefit of others by his research and development work. But mostly he inspired others to excel in their endeavors. He was a wonderful guy. And we are all pleased to honor him with the presentation of the Hap Paul Award at each year’s meeting of ISTA.