Zoran Krivokapic was one of the leaders of colorectal surgery in Serbia and Europe.
Born in Kosovska Mitrovica, he completed his university studies in Belgrade, graduating from the Faculty of Medicine in 1980. Later, he specialized in general surgery in Belgrade and in colorectal surgery in Basingstoke, where he was a student of the famous Bill Heald.
He began his academic activity in 1989, as an assistant at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Belgrade, then climbing all the university ranks (1994: Lecturer, 2007: Professor).
In parallel, he carries out a very rich operative activity, both in the 1st Surgical Clinic of the Clinical Center of Serbia (since 1986) and in numerous other hospitals in Serbia and abroad, as well as a sustained academic activity in numerous scientific societies: he was secretary general of the International Society of University Colon and Rectum Surgeons (ISUCRS), member of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland (ACPGBI), founding member and president of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), member of the European Digestive Surgery (EDS), Mediterranean Society of Coloproctology (MSCP), European Surgical Association (ESA), member of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Serbia, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS), Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).
He was a member of the editorial board of 15 specialized journals, including 8 international journals: Colorectal Disease -England, Proktologia – Poland, World Journal of Gastroenterology – China, Journal of Coloproctology – South Korea, BH Surgery – Bosnia-Herzegovina, Chirurgia – Romania, Medical Studies-Poland, Koloproctology – Russia.
As a result of his rich activity, he was elected an honorary member in: American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS), Italian Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, Israel Society of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Russian Association of Coloproctology, Romanian Society of Surgery , Hungarian Society of Surgery, Hungarian Association for Ambulatory Surgery, Bulgarian Surgical Society, Association of Surgeons of Republic of Srpska, Association of Surgeons of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Polish Club of Coloproctology.
He also received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Craiova and the “Grigore T. Popa” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Iași, as well as numerous important recognitions in his native Serbia: the annual prize for scientific research of the Society Medicale (2004), Award of the City of Belgrade for Medicine (2012), Vladan Dordevici Medal of the Military Medical Academy for the best surgeon, Kapetan Misa Anastasijevic Award of the Republic of Serbia for outstanding results in the field of medical sciences, Order of Sveta Gora awarded by the President of the Republic of Serbia and the order for great achievements (Lifetime achievement) of the Medical Society.
For his exceptional merits in the field of medicine, Professor Zoran Krivokapic was elected a member of the National Academy of Sciences and Arts of the Republic of Serbia.
Zoran was a great friend of Romanian surgeons. From the very beginning, he participated in the annual Romanian-Serbian surgical meetings organized by UMF Craiova, where he came both with valuable scientific papers, but also with an open soul and a warm hand that he extended to everyone with great friendship.
He knew how to comment on any presentation at the highest level, but at the festive evenings organized after the sessions, he became an unsurpassed storyteller with a highly developed sense of humor. His time in Heald’s Basingstoke Clinic made him nostalgic. He had started without knowing the English language and making extraordinary efforts to integrate into a team led by a great personality of international surgery. He ended up as an eminent surgeon and a good personal friend of Heald, whom he then accompanied to surgical demonstrations in various countries. In some of these demonstrations, as Zoran recounted, his experience as a “balkan surgeon” (“balkan surgeon” as he labeled himself) proved much more useful in the face of advanced tumors that were quite rare in Bill Heald’s England; in such cases, Zoran’s presence in the team proved salutary!
He made close friends with the Romanian surgeons. Apart from the Romanian-Serbian meetings, he held conferences and participated in scientific events in the university centers of Timișoara, Bucharest and Iași.
Both I and the other Romanian surgeons were invited many times to Serbia to the congresses he organized.
He knew how to comment on any presentation at the highest level, but at the festive evenings organized after the sessions, he became an unsurpassed storyteller with a highly developed sense of humor. His time in Heald’s Basingstoke Clinic made him nostalgic. He had started without knowing the English language and making extraordinary efforts to integrate into a team led by a great personality of international surgery. He ended up as an eminent surgeon and a good personal friend of Heald, whom he then accompanied to surgical demonstrations in various countries. In some of these demonstrations, as Zoran recounted, his experience as a “balkan surgeon” (“balkan surgeon” as he labeled himself) proved much more useful in the face of advanced tumors that were quite rare in Bill Heald’s England; in such cases, Zoran’s presence in the team proved salutary!
He made close friends with the Romanian surgeons. Apart from the Romanian-Serbian meetings, he held conferences and participated in scientific events in the university centers of Timișoara, Bucharest and Iași.
Both I and the other Romanian surgeons were invited many times to Serbia to the congresses he organized.
In 2007, together with Zoran, I received the title of honorary member of the Hungarian Society of Surgery, at the congress in Debrecen.
In 2012, as president of the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP), Zoran invited me to hold an important conference (British Journal of Surgery Conference) primarily out of “regional solidarity”, proud of the geographical region in which he was born and for the progress which he fought all his life.
Unexpectedly, our great friend was affected by a terrible disease with which he fought for almost 5 years and which he faced with great dignity.
On September 7, I arrived in Belgrade as a “visiting professor” of the University for a conference. I asked the organizers to also invite Professor Krivokapic, whom I would be very pleased to see again. He apologized that he could not come because of his health.
The next day (September 8) I mentioned it several times during the conference, emphasizing the scientific ideas that united us over time.
The next day, September 9th, I found out that Zoran had left this world! He left behind immense regrets, but also an exemplary life, dedicated to high-class surgery.
God rest him in peace!
Prof. Dr. Irinel Popescu
