An iconic figure in Swiss visceral surgery, Adrien Rohner devoted his career to surgical excellence. He studied medicine in Geneva and obtained his degree in 1954, followed by a doctorate in 1958. Although he completed most of his surgical training in Geneva, he furthered his knowledge during stays with leading European specialists in France, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. From 1961 to 1962, a particularly important stay in Paris enabled him to specialise in visceral surgery, with a special interest in liver surgery.

A brilliant technician and skilled leader, he rose through the academic ranks upon his return to Switzerland, becoming a full professor in 1972 and then head of the visceral surgery department at the HUG, where he created the liver transplant programme. His leadership was also reflected in his election to the presidency of the Swiss Society of Surgery in 1986. 

Professor Rohner embodied a certain elegance, being refined and discreet while also knowing how to be firm. He was always respected but never feared, thus trained generations of surgeons – including female surgeons, which was rare enough at the time – while also being there for his patients. 

At the academic level, he directly or indirectly supported the development of several original lines of research, including through Swiss National Science Foundation grants, particularly in liver surgery, the treatment of diverticulitis, and the isolation and transplantation of pancreatic islets. Appointed honorary professor upon his retirement in 1994, his legacy lives on today through a brilliant surgical school that has left its mark on surgery in Geneva and throughout Switzerland.