Death: Mr. Searles, Orthopaedic Surgery |
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Anthony “Dr. Tony” Searles, a retired instructor in the department of orthopaedic surgery in the Perelman School of Medicine and director of splinting and casting in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, passed away February 28 at the age of 76.
Mr. Searles came to the University of Pennsylvania in the mid-1960s, where he worked with Dr. Elliot Stellar in anatomy before joining the department of orthopaedic surgery in 1975, where he worked for nearly 40 years. He retired in May 2013.
Dr. Carl T. Brighton, former chairman of orthopaedic surgery (1977-1993) recounted, “During my early days as a junior faculty member, fresh out of the Navy, I remember meeting Tony. He was already working in orthopaedics. I was instantly impressed with his intellect and artistry. It was immediately obvious to me that he was special. He thought deeply about each patient. He was highly intellectual and immensely practical. He asked great questions about therapy, and I could see by the way he handled plaster that he was far better than most of the faculty in this regard. I asked him to put on all my casts. Soon, he was doing the same for the entire orthopaedics faculty. Tony was very special.”
Mr. Searles once explained his philosophy: “I have my own theory of medicine. Seventy-five percent of a diagnosis comes from listening to a patient; 15 percent comes from x-rays; and the remaining ten percent from lab results. If we just treat medical problems, then we are doing assembly-line medicine. But, if we treat the whole individual—by getting to know a little bit more about them other than their medical problems—we are practicing good medicine.”
Mr. Searles enjoyed teaching medical students the required Principles and Practice of Splinting and Casting. In addition to the accolades for his orthopaedic work, Mr. Searles was honored in 1997 with the School of Medicine’s Award for Excellence in Teaching by an Allied Health Professional—an award that was created specifically for him. In the testimonial letters that supported his nomination and award, many former students noted that Mr. Searles was singularly responsible for their trajectory into orthopaedics. Many others who did not pursue a career in orthopaedics said that Mr. Searles taught them the most practical lesson that they learned in medical school—to listen carefully to patients’ stories, and to be a caring and compassionate doctor.
Born in Philadelphia, Mr. Searles loved sculpting and painting. He attended the Philadelphia College of Art before serving in the Navy in Korea, where he was trained in facial reconstruction. During the Vietnam War, he served in the Army, and later completed his medical corps service at Fort Dix. In addition, he received medical training as a surgical assistant in prosthetic surgery at Northwestern University. His early post-military employment was at Atlantic City Hospital, and later Graduate Hospital, where he worked with orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Jesse Nicholson and Dr. James Nixon.
Mr. Searles is survived by his wife, Donna Casagrande, assistant director of the Office of Admissions at Penn Medicine; children, Phaedra and Danya; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother; and two sisters.
A memorial service will take place on Saturday, May 10, 1 p.m. at Calvary United Methodist Church, 48th St. and Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143.
Donations may be made to Wissahickon Hospice, www.pennmedicine.org/homecare/services/hospice or Philabundance, www.philabundance.org
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