Dr David Sutton

David Sutton MD FRCP FRCR FCAR

David Sutton was an innovative leader of the dramatic advances that took place in Clinical Radiology in the second half of the 20th century. His brilliant technical skills were combined with an analytical mind and a lucid literary style - both of which he ascribed to the rigours of a classical education - and kept him at the forefront of radiological writing and publishing up to a few days before he died. David Suchanitsky was born in Manchester in 1917, to an impoverished Jewish immigrant family who had fled persecution in Russia at the turn of the century. He won an open scholarship to Manchester Grammar School, where he studied English, History and Latin, but not Science, and from where he was awarded a Manchester City Council Scholarship to read Medicine at Manchester University. While he was a student the family name was changed to Sutton by deed poll.

05 October 1917 to 18 December 2002

He qualified in 1942, was immediately commissioned in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and served in Burma for three and a half years. During this time his enthusiasm for radiology was born, and after demobilisation he trained in London, at the Royal Free Hospital, and at Queen Square Hospital for Nervous Diseases, intending to become a neuroradiologist. Dr. James Bull had recently introduced the technique of percutaneous carotid angiography there, and David Sutton became the second person in the United Kingdom to practise this technique. While at Queen Square he wrote an MD thesis on the Radiology of the Aqueduct and Fourth Ventricle. He then moved to the Middlesex Hospital, where he developed the techniques of peripheral angiography, and those of placental angiography. During this time he passed the FFR examination, and joined the clinical teaching at the Middlesex Hospital so that he could take the MRCP by examination, which he duly did. In 1952 he received the Roentgen award of the British Institute of Radiology for his work on the aqueduct and the fourth ventricle.

In 1953 he Joined Dr. Rohan Williams as Consultant Radiologist at St. Mary's Hospital W2. At that time major strides in vascular surgery were being made there by Professor CG Rob and Mr. HHG Eastcott . He grasped with enthusiasm the opportunity to become the most skilled arteriographer of his time, and in 1961 he published a monograph of his experience with 10,000 arteriograms. His skills in these techniques were allied to those in that most taxing discipline, neuroradiology, and to his ability as a general radiologist of the highest calibre. This period marked a golden era at St. Mary's Hospital in the surgical management of vascular disease and in the medical elucidation of the causes of renovascular hypertension under the direction of Professor (now Sir) Stanley Peart. David Sutton's contribution to both these fields was pivotal, as he developed and swiftly mastered the new techniques in his field. His department earned its distinction as an outstanding clinical and learning centre.

His leadership in these fields led naturally to other distinctions. He was appointed examiner for the DMRD, and later the FRCR, and was elected to the Editorial Board of the Journal of the Faculty of Radiology, becoming its Editor from 1959 - 1964. During this editorship he was instrumental in changing the name of the journal to Clinical Radiology, and increased its circulation fourfold by attracting original contributions of high quality. This experience acquainted him with the burning issues in his speciality as well as with the best authors, and he assembled a dynamic team of contributors to his Textbook of Radiology, originally edited jointly with Dr. R.G.Grainger, of Sheffield , and later by David Sutton alone. New editions appeared regularly, as the book rapidly became a bible for all aspiring radiologists world wide. He actively supervised the 7th Edition which was delivered to him just a few days before he died.

The distinctions that he deserved so richly included the Skinner Lecture at the Royal College of Radiologists, Presidency of the Section of Radiology of the Royal Society of Medicine, Boerhaave Lecturer at the University of Leiden, and invited lectures in Canada, California and South Africa. He received an Honorary Fellowship from the Canadian Radiologists Association.

David Sutton's distinction and achievements would not have been possible without a razor-sharp intellect and the ability to argue a point to its ultimate truth. Coupled with an encyclopaedic memory and a love of verbal jousting, this made him a formidable protagonist. Sometimes he saw winning an argument as establishing a self evident truth, which was apt to cause antipathy even among those who knew him well and admired his achievements. It was not easy to change his mind even if he risked denting a friendship, for he was punctilious in all he did, and sometimes intolerant of sound alternative viewpoints. His inspirational teaching was usually delivered through uncompromising apprenticeship and didactic lecture, for the langours of a tutorial did not appeal to him. Above all his professional attributes was his personal loyalty to St. Mary's Hospital and to all whom he had taught there, and had inspired to become radiologists. It is a measure of his success that at the time of his retirement there were St. Mary's trained consultants at ten of London's twelve teaching hospitals, and two of his senior registrars later became Presidents of the Royal College of Radiologists.

His suppression of outward emotion concealed the warmth of his inner feelings which were especially reserved for his family. He married Janet Gardener in 1958, and together they and their children created an enduring happy family in which his sense of fun and enthusiasm were paramount. He enjoyed following their interest in sport, particularly in soccer and cricket, and enthused over their academic achievements, especially that his daughter followed him into Medicine. He was temperamentally suited to enjoy the combative nature of squash, and he used to play regularly to a very competent standard, and to the exhaustion of successive registrars.

In his later years he was afflicted by Parkinson's Disease, the onset of which he had predicted, from knowledge of his family history. He was nursed tirelessly by Janet as he faced his progressive disability and ultimate frailty with resilience. David Sutton died of a heart attack on 18th December 2002, aged 85 years, and is survived by his wife Janet, and their two children.

Memoir authors: Rhys Davies , Oscar Craig