16/04/2026
Eminent Heart Surgeon Professor Christopher Lincoln was laid to rest today. Dr Michael Rigby, along with others, have written a heartfelt tribute to this legendary clinician. A pioneer who leaves behind such a wonderful legacy. His accomplishments will never be forgotten.
'Christopher Lincoln took the art of children’s heart disease to a new level. He became a legendary figure as one of the most influential cardiac surgeons in the world specialising in the safe treatment of children. He was an early pioneer in the field and built a team that was without peer. When others failed to reduce their mortality, his was the benchmark against which their results were measured.
Lincoln was appointed consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the Brompton Hospital in 1973. From 1977 to1986, he was also honorary cardiac surgeon at the Westminster Hospital. He became honorary senior lecturer in paediatric surgery at the Cardiothoracic Institute of the University of London, and Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was a member of the British Cardiac Society, the Society of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, and the European Association of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
An austere and reserved man, blessed with the looks of Rex Harrison, he showed an utter commitment to his craft and collegiate working. Educated at the ancient Kings School, Rochester where he was only taught classics, he was so determined to enter medical school that he studied sciences at a local college after regular school hours. This enabled him to gain entry to medical school in Dublin. After graduation he became intent on a career in cardiothoracic surgery but was very aware of the virtual absence of any service for infants and children born with congenital heart disease, the majority of whom died prematurely.
He trained at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, The National Heart Hospital under the legendary surgeon Donald Ross, and at the Brompton and London Chest Hospitals. After senior training at the Institute of Child Health, he went to the US as the Senior Fulbright Scholar at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. From his appointment to the Brompton Hospital in 1973 until compulsory retirement in 1999 he worked closely with his colleague Elliot Shinebourne. They recruited an extraordinary first generation of sub-specialists. There was the first UK cardiac morphologist Bob Anderson, and his successor Yen Ho. The first cardiac imaging specialist Derek Gibson. The next generation of paediatric cardiologists included Michael Rigby, Andrew Redington, Jan Till, Piers Daubeney, and cardiac surgeon, Darryl Shore. As his survivors became more numerous than those elsewhere, Jane Somerville and then Michael Gatzoulis built the largest database of adult congenital cardiac patients. This was a team of extraordinary doctors with Christopher taking the lead in focussing on the need to maintain the highest standards of clinical care, teaching and research. If the environment was friendly and collegiate, tolerance of slapdash work or attitudes was minimal. Knowing that many of their patients had slender chances of survival meant everyone insisted on the highest standards or work. Mr Lincoln operating on large numbers of children, virtually 6 days a week.
Over and above his clinical commitments, he was deeply committed to both clinical and scientific research, publishing 175 peer-reviewed manuscripts. He was never interested in the management of the hospital: he devoted his time entirely to cardiac surgery, training, teaching, and facilitating research. The Brompton attracted trainees from all over the world. From 1977 he trained 28 visiting foreign clinical cardiac surgical fellows, usually sponsored by their own governments. Many, if not most, of those trainees returned home to establish cardiac services for children in their own countries. The success of the training programme was also facilitated by the ability of the Brompton team to be so welcoming and supportive. As part of these teaching and research activities the team organised international postgraduate symposia. In this way, he was able to attract cardiac surgeons with legendary reputations, such as John Kirklin from Alabama who pioneered the heart lung machine, and Francis Fontan from Bordeaux whose
procedure bypassed the right side of the heart. He enabled them to talk about their work and debate the latest techniques for improving results. There were many other visitors.
From the outset he showed his excellence in taking on procedures with a very high mortality. His construction of arterial shunts in newborn infants with cyanotic heart disease and his repairs of aortic coarctation were recognised as things of beauty. But he moved flawlessly with the times, moving from the atrial to the arterial switch operations for infants with life-threatening transposition of the great arteries, performing both operations with great skill. His publications focused on the understanding of major congenital heart disease and the description of innovative
surgical techniques. These explained how to avoid complications to the heart and brain as a consequence of open heart surgery.
His was a truly remarkable life and career. He was apt to offer sound advice to both trainees and colleagues, for example suggesting ‘never drive past your hospital without going to see your patients’. When he did so the results could be abrupt. One memorable telephone conversation consisted only of the words: “Elliot, our patient is not very well.” Shinebourne of course knew which patient he was talking about and what needed to be done at a time when there was no specialist team in intensive care.
His hobbies included sailing, riding, travel to warm climates and oriental carpets. Lincoln could be austere, and he was seen as a man of few words although his second wife Karen brought the best out of him. He tended to delegate counselling patients about the prognosis for their children. He will be sorely missed, but remembered with gratitude by his wife Karen, his family, colleagues, patients and friends'.
We send our love and condolences to his family and all who knew and worked with him. ❤️
The Brompton Fountain
