Pablo Luis Mirizzi: The man behind the syndrome

Abstract

Pablo Luis Mirizzi (1893–1964), who was born and died in the city of Cordoba in Argentina, dedicated his life to the service of surgery and the teaching of his students. Although known for the introduction of the intraoperative cholangiogram and for describing the Mirizzi syndrome – a partial obstruction of the common hepatic duct secondary to an impacted gallstone in the cystic duct, very little else is known about this man behind the brilliant surgical pioneer of the twentieth century. This biography looks beyond his important contributions to medicine, to the many facets of the man himself.