Professor Emeritus Evangelos Markakis

On February 4, 2018, Professor Dr. med. Evangelos Markakis died unexpectedly at his home in Rodia, Heraklion, Crete, Greece. He was born in Neapolis, Crete, on April 2, 1936. After completing his early education in Athens, in 1955 he began studying medicine in Germany at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, followed by further studies at the Christian-Albrecht-University of Kiel. He graduated in April 1961, followed by an internship as a medical assistant in neurology and pediatrics. Markakis finished his thesis on Endoxan therapy for malignant brain tumors in 1965 after a fellowship in the neurosurgical section of the surgical department at the University Hospital of the Christian-Albrecht-University of Kiel with Professor E. Bues in 1963. Just 8 days before the tragic death of Professor Bues (1920–70), Markakis became a specialist in neurosurgery there.

Prof. Evangelos Markakis

From 1970 to 1983, he worked as a neurosurgeon at the Hannover Medial School, where he became a registrar in July 1973. He also began his academic career there. Markakis achieved the venia legendi in July 1974 with his work on the direct measurement of intracranial pressure (ICP). He started a pediatric neurosurgical service for Hannover and Lower Saxony and established one of the first interdisciplinary outpatient consultations for children with spina bifida. Pediatric neurosurgery was to define a major part of his career. Thanks to his expertise, he was appointed assistant professor for pediatric neurosurgery in 1977, one of the first in Germany, where a section for pediatric neurosurgery of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC) was established in 1972. Markakis made important scientific contributions to the treatment of congenital disorders, hydrocephalus, and brain injury, introducing ICP monitoring as a standard of care.

In 1983 he became chief neurosurgeon of the newly founded Department of Neurosurgery at the Riyadh Central Hospital in Saudi Arabia, where he worked for 3 years.

Following the designation of Professor O. Spoerri, who in 1977 had succeeded Professor K.-A. Bushe as head of the neurosurgical clinic of the Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Germany, Markakis became provisional head of the department until he was appointed its director in 1988, leading the clinic until August 1999. He continued his impressive academic career as head of the Clinic for Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete.

Markakis retired in 2003 after 42 years of working as an academic in neurosurgery. His main interest was pediatric neurosurgery, and from its beginnings in 1983, he was an active member of the International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery. There his focus was traumatic head injury, ICP, neuro-oncology, tumors of the brainstem, and the surgical treatment of epilepsy. But the most important contribution of his work was surgery for brain tumors in children. He offered a wealth of experience and educated several fellows in pediatric neurosurgery. He initiated the establishment of the Department of Pediatric Neurology at University Hospital Göttingen, encouraging an interdisciplinary approach.

Since September 1999 Markakis lived with his wife Dr. med. dent. Petra Laubner-Markakis in their new home in Rodia, Heraklion, Crete. He was holder of the Order of the Phoenix, established in 1926 and awarded to Greek citizens who have excelled in the fields of public administration, science, arts, letters, economics, and business. His character, his empathy, his clear mind, and a keen sense for the essentials in neurosurgery, especially pediatric neurosurgery, will continue to inspire his colleagues in the field.