It is with great sadness that we inform you of the sudden passing of Dr. John B. Chang. Dr. Chang passed away on December 1, 2015 at his home in New York. He was born on June 2, 1936 in Goesan, Choong Buk in Korea and graduated from Medical School of Seoul National University in 1962. He finished internship and residency of chest surgery until 1968 at National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea and then went USA to finish the Vascular Surgery Fellowship. John B. Chang, MD, FACS, FICS was a board certified vascular surgeon with many years of experience. His academic appointments included Professor, Clinical Surgery, Hofstra North Shore Long Island Jewish School of Medicine, Uniondale, NY, and Adjunct Professor, Clinical Surgery, Albert Einstein School of Medicine, Bronx, NY. He was Director of the Long Island Vascular Center, Roslyn, NY. He was also an Honorary Police Surgeon for the City of New York, NY. He was the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the International College of Angiology, Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Angiology and Founding Chairman of the Asian Society for Vascular Surgery (ASVS). Dr. John B. Chang has done great contribution to establish the ASVS with founding members of late Professor Yoshio Mishima (Japan), Professor Yong Kak Lee (Korea) and Professor Zong Gao Wang (China). In 1994 they established the ASVS and their By Law. Then the First Symposium of ASVS was held in Yamaguchi, Japan in 1994, the Second in Seoul, Korea in 1996 and the Third in Beijing, China in 1998. Following ASVS were held in every Asian Countries biannually, from the 7th Symposium the meeting is held annually. And also Dr. John B. Chang travelled every Asian country to deliver lectures and tried every effort to connect vascular surgeons in each country with close relationship. In his academic career review, Dr. John B. Chang has authored numerous books, and published more than 137 articles and book chapters on the medical and vascular surgical management of patients with special emphasis on research, and in particular, longterm outcome of carotid endarterectomy with vein patch, aortic aneurysms and lower extremity revascularization. I think we owe Dr. John B. Chang a lot Asian Vascular Society Development, on behalf of all members of ASVS, I would like to extend deep condolences to Dr. Chang’s family. We would like to pray for the repose of Dr. Chang’s soul.
Yong Bok Koh, MD, Ph.D, FACS
Previous President, Korean Society for Vascular Surgery
Professor Emeritus, Medical College, the Catholic University of Korea
Seoul, Korea
Scene of Delegate Meeting on June 2, 1996 for the 2nd ASVS in Seoul, Korea. From left to right: Yong Bok Koh, Yoshio Mishima, Yong Kak Lee, John B. Chang and Zong Gao Wang, MDs