South Louisiana has lost an icon of orthopedic excellence. Richard E. Robichaux, Jr., M.D., known by friends as “Dickie,” passed away on October 17, 2017 at the age of 65.
In Memoriam: Richard E. “Dickie” Robichaux, Jr., M.D.
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Dr. Robichaux is survived by his wife, Denise D. Robichaux; daughters, Estelle S. Robichaux, Emily M. Robichaux and husband, Joe Guinan; and Eugenie R. Rogers and husband, Scott; sisters, Bonnie R. Livingston and husband, Robert; Alice R. Bonneval, and Leslie R. Suazo and husband, Herminio; numerous nieces and nephews; stepchildren, Ross D. Murrell, wife, Katherine, and daughter Evelyn, Grace M. Robinson and husband, Brandon, and Clare R. Murrell; and former wife, Nancy Cenac. He was preceded in death by his father, Dr. Richard E. Robichaux; mother, Estelle S. Robichaux; sister, Estelle S. Robichaux; brother, René S. Robichaux; and nephew, Richard G. Livingston.
A stalwart leader in the LSU Orthopaedics community, Dr. Robichaux was a fixture in the Tiger family, graduating from LSU in 1973 and the LSU School of Medicine in 1979. After completing a residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans he devoted his talents to serving patients through his private practice in Baton Rouge. Dr. Robichaux, a staff orthopedic surgeon for the LSU Health Sciences Center, trained numerous orthopedic residents, preparing them for the clinical and professional challenges that lay ahead.
Andrew G. King, M.D., the G. Dean MacEwen Chair in Orthopedics at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, worked alongside his friend for many years.
He remembers, “Richard (Dickie) Robichaux was an old school humanistic doctor. He loved his colleagues, his coworkers, and most of all, his patients, regardless of their background. He came from a family that has a long tradition of medical care in south Louisiana. (Through his contacts, throughout his residency, he managed a moonlighting system for his fellow residents at small town hospitals, which was unknown to the chair and faculty!) He had a wry sense of humor and was fun to be around, and he remained a great supporter of the LSU department of Orthopedics. His loss comes as he was about to begin an appointment to oversee the training and supervision of orthopedic residents in Baton Rouge, and he was excited about this new phase in his career. We will all miss him.”
Robert Zura, M.D., the Robert D’Ambrosia Chair of Orthopaedics at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, stated, “I had the opportunity to work with Dickie Robichaux. He was a knowledgeable and dedicated and talented surgeon. He was a fantastic teacher. Dickie was beloved by the residents he worked with and he was a kind gentleman. He was a pleasure to be around. He will be dearly missed.”
A visitation was held at Christ the King Catholic Church in Baton Rouge on Saturday, October 21, 2017, followed by a Mass of Christian burial. A private burial in Raceland will be held at a later date.
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the LSU Medical Alumnae Association: 2020 Gravier Street, Room 523, New Orleans LA 70112.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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