It is with great sadness that we heard of the death of Dr Jean-Pierre Estèbe, French anesthesiologist, on the 16th of March 2021.
Jean-Pierre Estèbe was born in 1955. He started his medical studies in Rennes, France in 1975 and continued with training in anesthesia-intensive care, primarily wanting to become an intensivist.
He was passionate about his job, spending his energy on two fronts: pain and loco-regional anesthesia, problems within and the relevant fundamental research; more specifically the prolongation of analgesia with local anesthetics, which were finalized by a university thesis in 2001.
Hard worker by nature, he also spent a few years at the University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, before returning to Rennes to continue his activities.
His interest in pain issues naturally led him to participate in the creation and management of the Pain Consultation at Rennes University Hospital, where he was greatly appreciated by his patients who were patiently listened to by him.
Jean-Pierre Estèbe was a member of the Board of Directors of SFAR (French Society for Anesthesiology and Intensive Care), as well as a member of the Pain Committee of the European Society of Anaesthesiology. He has been one of the major actors making ‘Opioid Free Anesthesia’ a success, struggling for his ideas, convinced and convincing.
His life force, his persuasiveness, and his faithful intensity made him a fighter for progress in anesthesiology. Jean-Pierre Estèbe was one of the internationally influential people in anesthesiology.
Enthusiast in rugby, very athletic, nonconformist to the root, with a caustic humor, Jean-Pierre had many friends, and others who were less so, but what is certain is that no one ever left indifferent after meeting him; and that he was very invested clinician and respected by all. His aura, his sympathy, his joviality will have left a mark on all those who knew him.
He was married and had four children.
You will be sorely missed.
Rest in peace!
Dr Xavier Falieres,
Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Albert Schweitzerplaats 25,
NL-3318AT, Dordrecht, (The Netherlands)
E-mail: x.falieres@gmail.com