Dr. Gustilo holds the title of “father of orthopedics” in the Philippines, his home country. He completed a medical residency at the University of Minnesota in 1964,and stayed to practice in the U.S.
He is known for developing a system for classifying open fractures. He performed more than 5,000 hip, knee and joint replacements during his career, according to the report.
Dr. Gustilo also served for more than two decades as the chair of orthopedic surgery at HCMC and established an orthopedic learning center for teaching surgeons.
In 1987, he launched a program overseas for orthopedic surgeons in Asia and Scandinavia. Through the program, he mentored over 100 students and physicians.
After his retirement, Dr. Gastillo traveled back to the Philippines, where he founded a company providing low-cost orthopedic implants to Asia.
