DR RIENZIE PEIRIS – Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
Dr Rienzie Peiris , Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon, passed away on December 12, 2018.
An Appreciation
December 22, 2018, 6:20 pm 
My association with Rienzie goes back to January 1972 when I assumed duties as Senior House Officer, in his unit at the General Hospital, Colombo. At that time, Rienzie was the Senior Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon. He was at the peak of his professional life. As an Orthopaedic Surgeon, he had no equal and, his reputation had spread island wide. His clinical judgment was flawless; his ability to decide when to undertake surgical treatment was near perfect. The timing of surgical treatment was of paramount importance in the management of children suffering from the effects of poliomyelitis, a very common problem at that time in Sri Lanka. He was a surgeon with exceptional skill. On many occasions he would modify an established surgical procedure to suit the needs of a particular patient. In the operating theatre he was meticulous; he was neat and showed an abundance of natural flair. On numerous occasions he indicated to his junior staff that a surgical operation should not only be effective, it must in addition be pleasing to the eye of an observer.
Rienzie Peiris was an outstanding teacher, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His assessment of patients was based mainly on deductions arrived at from first principles, an attribute he acquired during his overseas training at the Mecca of Orthopaedic Surgery in Liverpool, UK. He combined his vast experience, with clarity of thought and presented Orthopaedics in an uncomplicated format to the student. He did lucidly describe the mechanics of fracture treatment based on general principles. As a result, his unit at the General Hospital in Colombo was much sought after by surgeons in training. There are scores of Sri Lankan Surgeons worldwide who have trained under Dr Rienzie Peiris. These numbers alone stand testimony to his skill as a teacher.
As a colleague, he commanded enormous respect from both senior and junior members of the profession. He did not hesitate to share his expertise with his juniors. Rienzie never stopped learning. He did not sit back and be complacent. He kept abreast of the current trends in the specialty, carefully reading through the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (which was the only recognized journal in Orthopaedic Surgery at that time). He was easily accessible, and was always ready to offer advice to sort out a difficult problem in Orthopaedics.
Another facet to Rienzie’s life was his leadership qualities. As President of the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) he exhibited this quality in abundance. During his tenure as leader of the AMS he gained many privileges for the profession. None obtained by the threat of trade union action, but by repeated negotiations and effective lobbying. Rienzie’s finest hour as President of the AMS would undoubtedly be, when after a prolonged period of negotiations he succeeded in obtaining the right for consultants in the government sector to engage in private practice. All medical specialists in government hospitals today practicing their specialty in the private sector should be eternally grateful to him.
After retirement, he continued to practice as an Orthopaedic Surgeon in the private sector. A while later he took on an entirely different role. At the request of the then President of the country Mr J.R. Jayewardene, Rienzie took to administration. He was appointed as the first Chairman of the newly established Sri Jayawardene Hospital in Kotte. His influence on the board did much to guide the hospital during its early years, enabling it to achieve the current status as a centre of excellence.
Rienzie was the ultimate family man. He loved and protected his family unequivocally and selflessly. I have no doubt that his wife Celia, daughters Dinali and Sharmini and the other members of the immediate family will miss him.
Rienzie Peiris stood head and shoulders above his contemporaries. He was one in a generation, the likes of whom we will rarely see again. He was indeed a remarkable person.
"His life was gentle, and the elements
so mixed in him that nature might stand up and say to all the world.
This was a man!"
Chanaka Wijesekera
Chanaka,
ReplyDeleteThank you for that elegant tribute to the doyen of SriLankan orthopaedics. As a medical student I recall from other students he was a fine teacher although I never came across him in my long five years. Those were the golden years of medical education in SL. There are not many left of those great teachers.
May he fine Eternal Peace
Nice to see you ,Chanaka,my good old fried with an excellent tribute to his ex-mentor(Guru Ji).
ReplyDeleteI remember Rienzie very well with premature grey hair,which made him look old for his age.He was soft spoken with a sense of humour;kind hearted and showed empathy and compassion towards his patients.I new of one ward female patients,who was a victim of polio,in his female ward.He never discharged her,even though nothing could have been done to bring the paraplegic lower limbs back to function.She confidentially told me that she was from the same town ,as Rienzie.I am sure Rienzie new the financial constraint that patient had in managing at home, and not that he favoured his own home town lass.
Rienzie was second in command to Dr Francis Silva who migrated to Malaysia as Professor of Orthopaedics.Dr.Silva was a Hunterian Professor,who gave a lecture about "Vedaralas' elbow"
Some of the readers might have heard about the story.
When we did our part of Orthopaedic training,the trio of Orthopaedic surgeons were-Rienzie,V.Rasanayagam and Faisal Abbas(a naturalized Persian).One of the house officers at that time was Dr. Thambiraj.
I do not think we learned the basics of orthopaedic in those ward rounds.We never had a chance to attend Orthopaedic OPD,which was situated just opposite the main OPD.
I new,he was a born Christian and wish him eternal piece.
We did the 2 month appointment with Francis Silva. He was a polite gentleman and a very kind person. I never learnt much orthopaedics as a student. Never needed it for my internship. Learnt much about orthopaedics training in radiology in London.
DeleteA wonderful tribute by my friend Chanaka with whom I have sadly lost touch. Lubber, Srikantha Wijesekera, Chanaka and I used to cycle back in convoy, chatting all the while. Chanaka had a subtle sense of humor and was great fun to associate with.
ReplyDeleteComing to Dr Rienzie Pieris,I shall always remember him as an excellent teacher. He was tall, smartly dressed and carried himself gracefully and as Sumathi noted, he had premature grey hair. One of the things I still recall is his analysis of the hip joint and abductor apparatus. He believed in critical analysis and the use of basic principles.
One of the many excellent teachers we had the good fortune to be taught by. As they say, “they don’t make ‘em like that anymore”
Here is my tribute to Rienzie Pieries, the great orthopaedic surgeon. In September 1980, the day I assumed duties at Ruhuna, I had a call giving me the news that my mother had fallen and had been admitted to the Accident Service (located in the premises of the old Eye Hospital). I rushed to Colombo and discovered that she had a fracture of the neck of the femur. I was informed that Rienzie was "on take". I visited him at his residence in Borella and spoke to him. He inquired whether my mother had any co-morbidities. I told him that she only had mild hypertension. He decided to operate on her although she was 80 years old at that time. I was present in the theatre to observe his expert surgery. She lived for another 17 years, enjoying a very good quality of life. In 1997 ,I was in Worthing on sabbatical leave when she died. She was cremated at the Galkissa cemetery and I recovered the prosthesis that Rienzie had inserted, from her ashes. I still have it as a souvenir.
ReplyDeleteI taught his daughter in the Colombo Medical Faculty in the mid 1970s and she went on to specialise in ENT surgery. She worked as an ENT surgeon at LRH for a short period and then emigrated.
She passed away few years ago, which shattered Rienzie and he was never the same person again.
Chanaka had referred to his Presidency of the AMS and the pivotal role he played in the restoration of channeled practice.At a medical gathering in the 1990s which Dr.PR Anthonis chaired, he paid a glowing tribute to Rienzie for this singular achievement and we gave Rienzie a standing ovation.
Sanath
The gentleman he is, Speedy had in a private e-mail, very politely pointed out that this very same article had been posted on the blog in 2015. I had forgotten that fact. Not a good sign at all. Am I losing my memory? Hope not! Anyway, all credit to Speedy. He was very sharp. So, as promised, it would not be republished after Chanaka's Appreciation. My apologies.
ReplyDeleteLucky
DeleteIt was published in 2015 in the blog. It is an insignificant event easily forgotten in the maze of publications over several years. So don’t chastise yourself. In life There are more important things to remember.
Merry Christmas
I wish I was sharp! I had completely forgotten the article till ND told me!
DeleteI forgot to mention one incident,at the time of agitation for private practice for hospital Consultant,a meeting was held at the New Anatomy block.I was attached to VD clinic,Colombo at the time.While Rienzie was addressing the gathering of doctors,Rau Fonseka became boisterous and was trying to impress the crowd. Rau had just return from UK,after having MRCP in his pocket.Rienzie had no hesitation in commanding his authority and asked Rau to keep his mouth shut.I can't remember whether Rienzie use the word"blood".Rienzie behaved like a indefatigable warrior and won the due rights.
ReplyDeleteThis is Zita, a late appearance as usual, to say a few words about this marvellous teacher. I agree with all words said above and I can remember a few anecdotes too. He was known for his lectures on The Hip Joint and we used to take the mickey out of him, saying 'here comes the hip joint' and he was quite okay with these chuckles at his expense. I remember when I was taken to him with pain in my knee joint, he took a long time to examine and he didn't suggest any active treatment. He knew that just 'keeping an eye' is all lit needed. He was very good to me, whenever I took to him one of my relatives for an orthopaedic problem. He knew exactly what was wrong and he was always conservative in his approach to treatment. I was so impressed how long he took in just looking at the site of the problem as though the joint or the bone spoke to him. I remember his lectures as a guest lecturer whenever he was invited to do it. He held the audience spell bound and he would make relatively uninteresting subject really gripping and listen-worthy. I salute his memory and think the world is a sadder place without him. Zit
ReplyDeleteI remember Rienzie Peiris well, though my Orthopaedic stint was with Dr. Rasanayagam. All that stuck in my memory from that time was a poster in his clinic with the quote from Hellen Keller- “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet”.
ReplyDeleteTo the author of this appreciation-
“ chanaka stays reticent and as quiet as a mouse
In his castle on a hill-top with a lake just around.
Thought to guard a temple where relics are found-
What a relief it is he can be roused !
Quietly and modestly he has pursued his path-
With dexterity and diligence his chosen art.
You’d think watching sport was his life’s favored task-
His fine artistic talents he hides in the dark.
He’s ministered the injured from war-torn days,
Principled, humane, practical always.
The limbless he has mobilized and sent on their way
Would bear testimony to his quiet but caring ways.
‘‘Tis nice you’re in the blog even in an indirect way
Thanks to Lucky and the news from ‘Island Sunday’
I shall nudge you to visit here to see what we say-
From this fiend in your batch you can’t get away !!
I join all of you in remembering and being thankful for the wisdom Dr. Rienzie Peiris imparted to all of us. I think my rotation with him was the routine two weeks or whatever we did at that stage of our lives, but he was someone who was not easily forgotten. As for the reticent author of the article, Rohini, you have said it well in rhyme. I know you have a connection and can nudge him to visit the blog now and then. (You know that Chanaka and I were classmates since from our early days at Ladies' College. I doubt that he will remember!)
ReplyDeleteRohini, poetess (is that a legitimate word?), par excellence!
ReplyDeleteSrianee, when did Chanaka change sex!
It is amply clear that Rienzie Pieris had a big fan base, and deservedly so.
No poetess Mahen - Just having some fun with words !!
ReplyDeleteYou are pretty good at it too !
Wish you a Happy New Year !