UM-educated surgeon remembered for mentorship, compassion
Dr. Ken Thorlakson, a distinguished surgeon and former UM faculty member who passed away this year, was an exceptional mentor who greatly inspired younger surgeons, a colleague recently recalled.
“I first met Dr. Thorlakson when I was doing my general surgery rotation in 1973-74 at the Health Sciences Centre,” said Dr. Michael West, now professor emeritus of surgery.
“He had a huge influence on my career, as he had with many other aspiring young surgeons.”
Thorlakson was the son of surgeon Dr. Paul Thorlakson, in whose name the Thorlakson Chair in Surgical Research is awarded at UM.
“Dr. Ken,” as he was often known, died in January 2024 at the age of 100.
Thorlakson (back row, first on left) with members of the Medicine Class of 1949 at their 60th reunion in 2009.
He earned his medical degree at UM in 1949. After postgraduate surgical training in Britain, he returned to Winnipeg in 1956 and started his practice in general surgery at the Winnipeg Clinic and the Winnipeg General Hospital (now Health Sciences Centre). Later, he also performed surgeries at Victoria General Hospital.
“I recall making rounds with him as he evaluated the progress of patients that he had operated on and guided their postoperative care,” West said.
“He involved ward nurses in these rounds and spoke with each patient in a relaxed, respectful and unhurried way. He was compassionate and empathetic.… It was unusual for surgeons to spend as much time with recovering patients as he did.”
Thorlakson’s connection to UM spanned 80 years, beginning with his pre-med studies in the early 1940s. He held several teaching roles at the medical school before being appointed assistant professor of surgery in 1965 and associate professor in 1978. For 18 years, he was the editor of the teaching handbook for undergraduate surgical education.
He published numerous scientific studies. One of his areas of expertise was morbid obesity, and he was an early pioneer in gastric bypass surgery.
In the early 1980s, his appointment as Manitoba’s surgeon investigator for the Canadian National Breast Screening Study led to the introduction of mammography to the province.
Thorlakson, a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, was a skilled, supportive and patient mentor, West recalled. Early in West’s training, Thorlakson supervised him in performing an appendectomy.
“We went through the procedure step-by-step, with his soft-spoken guidance at each stage. He provided a running commentary … constructively critiquing my surgical technique. Surgeons in those days would often take over cases to expedite them. They would rarely allow trainees to take this degree of responsibility in the early stages of their training.”
Thorlakson’s professional roles included serving as president of the Canadian Association of Clinical Surgeons (Western Division). He didn’t fully retire until the age of 85.
“Throughout his career he remained humble; dedicated to serving the needs of patients during their most vulnerable moments,” West said.
Thorlakson was also a leading volunteer and fundraiser dedicated to Icelandic heritage and culture in Manitoba. He was a Knight of the Icelandic Order of the Falcon.
His many other awards and honours included the Order of Canada and the Peter D. Curry Chancellor’s Award from UM. He was elected to senior membership in the Canadian Medical Association in recognition of his contributions to the profession.