In memoriam of Mario Mantovani| ACTA Otorhinolaryngologica Italica

Abstract

Mario Mantovani suddenly passed away on July 3, 2020. He was born in Como on January 19, 1946. After carrying out classical studies (Liceo Classico A. Volta, Como), he graduated in Medicine at the University of Pavia (1970). He specialised in ENT (1975), Ophtalmology (1977), Reconstructive Plastic Surgery (1981) and Maxillo-Facial Surgery (1986) at the University of Milan. His entire clinic career took place at the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan. He started as Assistant (1974) under the guidance of Prof. Ettore Bocca who awarded him the position of Adjunct Professor. In 2000 he was appointed as Head of the Department (2000-2001). He continued to collaborate with the Department (directed by Prof. Lorenzo Pignataro) with care and teaching assignments (until 2020).
He was a learned gentleman, brilliant inventor, skillful surgeon, passionate about his profession, good skier, lover of life and his family.
He developed a completely innovative surgical approach for Obstructive Sleep Apnea: the “Modular Barbed Snoring & OSAHS Surgery”, being the first to use barbed sutures for pharyngoplasties: it was a revolution that changed the current surgical management of sleep apnea all over the world.
In the field of rhinology he was inventor of new surgical techniques such as the “Back and Forth Septoplasty” and new devices such as the “Guastella- Mantovani septal-valve splint”. He was a pioneer in the field of odontogenic sinusitis, contributing to the definition of ENT contraindications to Sinus Lift and inventing “the Antral Retriever” for foreign bodies removal from the maxillary sinus. There are many other inventions and not only in the field of otolaryngology, some even very peculiar like a device to turn his motorcycle into a snow bike. He was the author of numerous scientific papers published in peer reviewed journals, as well as many book chapters.
For all of us it was a sad and immense loss. He still had so much to discover and to teach. He will remain in the memory and in the heart of all those who
had the privilege of knowing him. He is survived by his wife Elena and by his daughter Camilla.
We will miss you Mario and we will do our best to carry out your innovative ideas and your projects.