[Lifetime achievements of Milan H. Djordjević. 1933-1993]

Professor Dr. Sci. Milan Djordjevitsh was an excellent cardiovascular surgeon and results of his professional and research work were well known to professional public in the country and over the world. He was born in Smederevska Palanka in 1933. He finished the University Schfool of Medicine in Belgrade in 1961 and specialized general surgery at the II Department of Surgery in Belgrade. His teacher, prof. dr. Vojislav Stojanovitsh, recognized his special interest for clinical and research work from the beginning. His doctor's thesis (1976) was "The Role of Veinous Valvula in Aortocoronographic Bypass During Increased Coronary Flow". In 1981 he formed a Bypass Centre of the Republic of Serbia which became later the Yugoslav European Reference Centre for pacemaker therapy. The same year (1981) he was rewarded "The October Award of the City of Belgrade" for science. He was the first to implant an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. This technique was carried out in Serbia only two months after the implantation of a similar system in Europe. Professor Djordjevitsh gave many lectures over the world: Detroit (1975), Huston (1975), Budapest (1978), Warsaw (1980), Stockholm (1982), Aman (1984), New-York (1988), Berlin (1987), Vienna (1998), Stockholm (1989), Moscow (1990). The professional and research work of professor Djordjevitsh in the field of electrostimulation of the heart was characterised by original ideas and permanent search for new possibilities, especially in the multidisciplinary field. Therefore, professor Djordjevitsh is considered to be the founder of modern clinical pacemaker therapy. He also practiced artistic and scientific photography. Since 1984 professor Djordjevitsh was member of the Nucleus of the European working group for heart electrostimulation and electrophysiology, and was elected in the presidency of the Nucleus; later he was its president. His interest was directed to the maturation of endocardial stimulation threshold; use of non-atrial sensors in the frequent adaptation of a permanent artificial conductor of cardiac rhythm-pacemaker to load; use of continuous electrostimulation of spinal cord in patients in terminal state of vasospastic and occlusive vascular diseases; study of the effort of electromagnetic fields on pacemaker inhibition and senzation; study of biologic-synthetic grafts. As a man of high standing, professor Djordjevitsh was expert for cardiovascular diseases and modern technology in the World Health Organization since 1988. On the basis of his great professional reputation in the country and abroad, professor Djordjevitsh was elected a corresponding member of the Serbian Academy of Science and Arts. After a few scientific meetings excellently organized by professor Djordjevitsh in the country (Dubrovnik, 1988 and in 1990 under the auspices of NASPE), professor Djordjevitsh had to organize a European congress on Pacemaker Therapy and Electrophysiology in Belgrade in 1993. Unfortunately, political events and early death of professor Djordjevitsh were the reasons why the congress was not held as planned. Professor Djordjevic died in Paris, but was buried in Belgrade in January 1993.