Stanley J. Dudrick, former professor of surgery at Penn’s School of Medicine and a world-renowned medical pioneer, died January 18 at his home in Eaton, New Hampshire, after an illness. He was 84. 

With Penn professor of surgery Jonathan Rhoads, Dr. Dudrick developed total parenteral nutrition (TPN) while he was serving as a surgical resident at HUP (Almanac April 1968). The technique, which allows people who cannot eat to be fed through a tube that bypasses their intestines, is credited with saving the lives of millions of acutely ill people who cannot feed themselves. 

Dr. Dudrick was born in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. He graduated cum laude with a BS in biology from Franklin and Marshall College. He earned his medical degree from Penn in 1961. After his residency at HUP, he joined Penn’s faculty. He was promoted to assistant professor in 1968 and associate professor in 1969. He served as chair of the department of surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, director of the Residency Training Program in General Surgery at Penn and was also on the surgical staff at the VA Hospital. In 1972, he was promoted to professor but resigned shortly after, as he was recruited to Houston to serve as the first professor and founding chairperson of the department of surgery at the new University of Texas Medical School and chief of surgical services at Hermann Hospital/The University Hospital. 

His development of intravenous feeding earned him numerous awards, including: the American Medical Association’s Goldberger Award (Almanac January 8, 2002); the American Surgical Association’s highest honor, the Medallion for Scientific Achievement for Distinguished Service to Surgery; the Legends of Neonatology Award and the Nathan Smith, MD Distinguished Service Award from the New England Surgical Society; The American College of Surgeons named him a “Hero in Surgery,” one of only four people to receive the distinction; Medscape named him one of the 50 most influential physicians in history; and ASPEN, which he established with 34 other health-care professionals in 1975 as an interdisciplinary association for the purpose of providing optimal nutrition to all people, presented him with the organization’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. The American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition established the annual Stanley J. Dudrick Research Scholar Award in his honor. 

Dr. Dudrick also became internationally known as an expert in fistula surgery, complex re-operative surgery, intestinal failure, surgical metabolism and nutrition. He authored or co-authored more than 2,500 scientific reference citations in Current Contents; served on more than 15 editorial boards of scientific journals and professional publications; was presented more than 120 honors and awards and produced several books, including the American College of Surgeons’ Manual of Surgical Nutrition, for which he served as co-editor. 

Dr. Dudrick is survived by his wife, Terri; and children, Susan Marie, Stanley Jonathan, Holly Anne, Paul Stanley, Carolyn Mary and Anne Theresa.