Letter: Lunch With a Legend: Pearls From Prof M. Gazi Yasargil in His Final Conversation With Neurosurgeons, as He Neared His 100th Birthday

To the Editor: With the 100th birthday approaching of the most legendary member of its emeritus neurosurgical faculty, M. Gazi Yasargil, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hosted a scientific symposium in his honor on February 27, 2025. Watching online, he enjoyed the presentation of one of us (G.R.) on Global Neurosurgery, which described the coming Boston Declaration and characterized him as being a disruptive innovator and global neurosurgeon. He and his wife reached out, communicating their support of the concepts of global neurosurgery, and asked if they could send a video of support for that event, which occurred on April 24, 2025. Prof and Mrs Yasargil subsequently invited both authors to their home in Stafa, Switzerland, for lunch and conversation. We were advised that he now tired easily and to expect no more than 30 minutes with him. This report summarizes a 4-hour visit on May 23, 2025, with him and his wife, Dianne, his nurse and partner of 51 years whose critical support was unwavering (Figure 1). In responding to his wife's protective inquiry about whether he wanted to rest, to eat, or to close the conversation, he vigorously declined, and said, “Conversation and discussion are food for the spirit!”. A significant part of our time together was spent in his recounting of the details of his early life, which are well described in the article of Dr Tew1 in 1999.FIGURE 1.: Eylem Ocal, Gail Rosseau, M. Gazi Yasargil, Dianne Yasargil; May 23, 2025; Yasargil Residence; Stafa, Switzerland. The author and all participants agreed to the publication of their images. Images owned by the author.This interview is edited for brevity and clarity. Conversation was largely in Turkish and German and was translated by EO with the assistance of Dianne Yasargil.1. “Do what you love and love what you do” Prof Yasargil's first reflections were, of course, on his career in his beloved neurosurgery. He stressed the importance of choosing a topic that fascinates you and working continuously at it. He cited the example of his lifelong friend, Can Yucel, who became a well-known Turkish poet.2. “Your brain is precious; you should be using it all the time” Both Prof and Mrs Yasargil stressed the value they placed all their lives on stimulating conversation, and such exchanges boosted their energy. Prof Yasargil credited his passion for teaching to a series of excellent teachers and to growing up in a stimulating household where he was always asked by his parents to share at the dinner table what he learned that day.3. “Everyone has something to teach you” Prof Yasargil recounted stories of meeting Turkish farmers, who were poor but wise. He recommended maintaining humility and endeavoring to learn from everyone we meet.4. “Words should be like pearls. Your choice of words are a reflection of you, your family, your education. Choose them wisely and use them wisely” 5. “Prepare good soil and good plants will grow” Prof Yasargil explained what he saw as his own role in neurosurgery: that he had provided many routes, including writing, hands-on courses and lectures, for others to benefit from the knowledge he had gained over his long career. Now, he said, diligent students of neurosurgery could learn and grow professionally as a result of the good “soil” he has prepared. In addition, he encouraged all students of neurosurgery to individually prepare our own good professional foundation, in us and help others do the same.6. “Learn to recognize excellence in others as well as yourself” Prof Yasargil gave the example of his own ability, from childhood, to select the best fruit at the local market. He was proud of this skill, which required careful observation of several factors and characteristics over a period of time. His father recognized young Gazi's talent in this regard…and always swiped fruit from his son! He recommended trying to be the best at everything, even fruit picking.7. “Know and love your country” As we age, we all appreciate, with increasing fondness, the land of our birth. Prof Yasargil is no exception. In fact, he spoke preferentially in Turkish while he was with us and mentioned repeatedly the beauty of his native land and its people. We understood him to be telling all of us working in the global neurosurgery field to appreciate our own roots, our culture, people, and country to understand others better. When asked about his legacy several times, and in a number of ways, he repeatedly demurred. He concluded our conversation by saying, “When I am ‘flying,’ they will know me by my writings.” (Figure 2).FIGURE 2.: M. Gazi Yasargil; May 23, 2025; Yasargil Residence; Stafa, Switzerland. The author and all participants agreed to the publication of their images. Images owned by the author.