Eugen Pólya
Encyclopedia
Jenő Sándor Pólya, , was an Hungarian surgeon
who was a native of Budapest
. He was the brother of George Pólya
(1887–1985), who was a professor of mathematics
at Stanford University
.
He studied in Budapest, and in 1898 earned his medical doctorate. In 1909 he was habilitated for surgical anatomy
at Budapest, and in 1914 attained the title of professor. Reportedly, he was murdered by the Nazis during the Siege of Budapest, however his body was never recovered.
Jenö Pólya is remembered for a surgical procedure known as the Reichel-Pólya operation
, which is a type of posterior gastroenterostomy
that is a modification of the Billroth II operation. This operation is named in conjunction with German surgeon Friedrich Paul Reichel
(1858–1934). Between World War I
and World War II
, he was visited in Budapest by several American surgeons who came to observe his surgical technique, and in 1939 Pólya was elected an honorary member of the American College of Surgeons
.
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
who was a native of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. He was the brother of George Pólya
George Pólya
George Pólya was a Hungarian mathematician. He was a professor of mathematics from 1914 to 1940 at ETH Zürich and from 1940 to 1953 at Stanford University. He made fundamental contributions to combinatorics, number theory, numerical analysis and probability theory...
(1887–1985), who was a professor of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
.
He studied in Budapest, and in 1898 earned his medical doctorate. In 1909 he was habilitated for surgical anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
at Budapest, and in 1914 attained the title of professor. Reportedly, he was murdered by the Nazis during the Siege of Budapest, however his body was never recovered.
Jenö Pólya is remembered for a surgical procedure known as the Reichel-Pólya operation
Reichel-Polya Operation
The Reichel–Polya operation is a type of partial gastrectomy developed by Eugen Pólya and Friedrich Paul Reichel. It is a modification of the Billroth II operation that involves a resection of 2/3 of the stomach with blind closure of the duodenal stump and gastrojejunal anastomosis.-Characteristics...
, which is a type of posterior gastroenterostomy
Gastroenterostomy
A gastroenterostomy is the surgical creation of a connection between the stomach and the jejunum. The operation can sometimes be performed at the same time as a partial gastrectomy...
that is a modification of the Billroth II operation. This operation is named in conjunction with German surgeon Friedrich Paul Reichel
Friedrich Paul Reichel
Friedrich Paul Reichel was a German surgeon.1881 - 1885: Assistant 1882: Doctor of medicine...
(1858–1934). Between World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was visited in Budapest by several American surgeons who came to observe his surgical technique, and in 1939 Pólya was elected an honorary member of the American College of Surgeons
American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of surgeons created in 1913 to improve the quality of care for the surgical patient by setting high standards for surgical education and practice.-Membership:...
.