Gaston Labat
Louis Gaston Labat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | December 11, 1876 Victoria, Mahé, Seychelles |
| Died | October 1, 1934 New York City, New York, United States |
| Alma mater | Royal College of Mauritius, University of Montpellier, University of Paris |
| Known for | Regional Anesthesia |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Anesthesia, Regional Anesthesia, Local Anesthesia, Peri-operative Care |
Louis Gaston Labat (December 11, 1876 - October 1, 1934) was a Seychellois-born physician and pioneer in regional anesthesia.
Early life
[edit]Gaston Labat was born in 1876 in Victoria, Mahé Island in the Seychelles to French parents, Siméon and Marie Labat, who had originally emigrated from Mauritius. Though his birth was officially registered in January 1877, Labat was born in December 1876.
His father, a trader, had relocated to the Seychelles to establish a business. Gaston was the eldest of three children, followed by two younger sisters. The family later returned to Mauritius after Siméon's death in a shipwreck, where Labat spent much of his childhood and early education.[1]
Medical career
[edit]Gaston Labat received his medical training at the Royal College of Mauritius (now Royal College Curepipe). While in Mauritius, Labat worked in his brother-in-law's pharmacy, gaining experience with medicinal compounds and patient care. This early exposure to pharmaceuticals contributed to his later medical career.[1]
Gaston Labat continued his studies in France, first at the University of Montpellier and then at the University of Paris, where he trained under surgeon Victor Pauchet.
In 1920, while observing Victor Pauchet’s surgical techniques in Paris, Charles Horace Mayo was impressed by Labat's regional anesthesia methods and invited him to join the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.[2] There, he authored the influential textbook Regional Anesthesia: Its Technic and Clinical Application which was published in 1922. The book, partly based on Pauchet's work, became the standard reference for decades.[3][4]
He later moved to New York, co-founding the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (1923).[5]
Gaston Labat pioneered spinal anesthesia techniques in the 1920s and designed an innovative unbreakable nickel spinal needle with a short, sharp bevel to reduce dural trauma.[6] Labat is most famously associated with the "Labat approach" to the sciatic nerve block, a foundational technique in regional anesthesia. This method involves injecting anesthetic near the sciatic nerve at the level of the hip using specific anatomical landmarks.[7]
Legacy
[edit]- Standardized regional anesthesia techniques.
- Bridged European and American medical practices regarding anesthesia and peri-operative care
- Advanced anesthesia as a distinct medical specialty.
- Founded the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (later evolving into the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine).
He is often regarded as the "father of regional anesthesia in America" for his work importing and popularizing regional anesthesia.[8]
In honor of his contributions to the field, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) created the Gaston Labat Award. The award recognizes physicians and researchers who have made significant advances in regional anesthesia and pain medicine, following Labat's tradition of innovation in these fields.[9][10][11]
Death
[edit]Gaston Labat died on October 1, 1934, in New York from postoperative complications causing emphysema and heart failure following a cholecystectomy.[4] He was buried in Assumption Cemetery in Cortlandt Manor, Westchester County, New York, USA.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Brown, David L.; Winnie, Alon P. (1992-09-01). "Biography of Louis Gaston Labat, M.D." Regional Anesthesia: The Journal of Neural Blockade in Obstetrics, Surgery, & Pain Control. 17 (5): 249–262. doi:10.1136/rapm-00115550-199217050-00002. ISSN 0146-521X.
- ^ Orkaby, Asher; Desai, Sukumar (2024-02-06). "Gaston Labat, the Mayo Clinic, and the Introduction of Regional Anesthesia to the United States". European Journal for the History of Medicine and Health. 81 (1): 45–73. doi:10.1163/26667711-20240001. ISSN 2666-7703.
- ^ Côté, Annie V.; Vachon, Claude A.; Horlocker, Terese T.; Bacon, Douglas R. (April 2003). "From Victor Pauchet to Gaston Labat: the transformation of regional anesthesia from a surgeon's practice to the physician anesthesiologist". Anesthesia and Analgesia. 96 (4): 1193–1200. doi:10.1213/01.ANE.0000049823.67729.1D. ISSN 0003-2999. PMID 12651684.
- ^ a b Vachon, Claude A.; Bacon, Douglas R.; Rose, Steven H. (October 2008). "Gaston Labat's Regional Anesthesia: the missing years". Anesthesia and Analgesia. 107 (4): 1371–1375. doi:10.1213/ane.0b013e3181838d56. ISSN 1526-7598. PMID 18806053.
- ^ Neal, Joseph M. (2006-01-01). "30 Plus Years — An Anniversary Celebration of ASRA and Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine". Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine. 31 (1): 4–5. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2005.11.009. ISSN 1098-7339. PMID 16418017.
- ^ Calthorpe, N. (2004). "The history of spinal needles: getting to the point". Anaesthesia. 59 (12): 1231–1241. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2044.2004.03976.x. ISSN 1365-2044.
- ^ Rodziewicz, Thomas L.; Stevens, Joshua B.; Ajib, Fayez A.; Tunnell, David J. (2025), "Sciatic Nerve Block", StatPearls, Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing, PMID 29261958, retrieved 2025-06-03
- ^ Eisenach, James C. (2008). "Regional anesthesia: advancing the practice of medicine; the 2008 Gaston Labat Award lecture". Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. 33 (5): 463–469. doi:10.1016/j.rapm.2008.06.006. ISSN 1532-8651. PMC 2603614. PMID 18774516.
- ^ "Gaston Labat Award". ASRA Pain Medicine. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "IARS Board Chair Dr. Suresh Receives ASRA's Prestigious Gaston Labat Award | IARS". Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ Conlon, Thomas (2024-04-09). "ASRA Bestows Dr. Christopher Wu of HSS with Gaston Labat Award". Meadowlands Media. Retrieved 2025-06-04.
- ^ "Louis Gaston Labat (1877-1934) - Find a Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2025-06-03.