Pedro Abelardo Vilorio Barrera

Professor Vilorio, as he was affectionately known, held at the time of his death the titles of Specialist of II Degree in Pediatric Surgery and I Degree in Pediatrics, as well as Full Professor and Consulting Professor. His life was an example of dedication, work and constant improvement, which he knew how to instill in others, always taking on challenges and implementing advances. Dr. Vilorio died as a result of complications from Covid-19.

He was born in the town of Mata, in the current province of Villa Clara, but his childhood was spent in the city of Santa Clara.

After completing his high school studies, in 1953 he moved to Havana to begin his medical career. From the first year of his studies, he began working as a student at Hospital Calixto García. During the third year of his career, in 1956, the University closed, and in 1957, due to family needs, he traveled to the United States to continue his medical studies.

He returned to Cuba in January 1959, and in February he joined the Rebel Army, being appointed as a medical orderly. He then resumed his medical studies.

In 1961 he began his pediatrics internship at Hospital Militar Carlos J. Finlay in Havana. In 1962 he graduated as a physician and went on to complete his postgraduate training in the Sierra Maestra Combat Forces, at the Hospital Militar del Caney de las Mercedes, which he inaugurated and became director of, as well as at the hospital of the Camilo Cienfuegos School City.

In 1963 he began his pediatrics residency at Hospital Carlos J. Finlay, with the rank of Medical Lieutenant in the FAR, and in 1964 he was appointed Instructor of the Department of Pediatrics, teaching medical students during their pediatrics rotation. He graduated as a pediatrics specialist in 1966, subsequently becoming Head of the Respiratory and Miscellaneous Services.

In 1969 he moved to Hospital Pediátrico William Soler to complete his second residency, this time in Pediatric Surgery, which was being implemented for the first time that year, graduating as a specialist 3 years later.

In 1972 he inaugurated the Pediatric Surgery Service at Hospital Militar Carlos J. Finlay, serving as its chief for 10 years, with excellent evaluations.

During this period he fulfilled internationalist missions as a military surgeon, spending one year in Angola, and 30 months in Ethiopia.

Due to the need to replace professors Guillermo Hernández Amador and Felipe Cárdenas González, who were moving on to receive training to assume the functions of the future Cardiocentro William Soler, he transferred in 1982 to Hospital William Soler to take charge of teaching in the Pediatric Surgery Service. Professor Vilorio worked at Hospital William Soler for the rest of his career, until his retirement in 2018, due to illness.

In 1986 he obtained the title of specialist of II degree in Pediatric Surgery, in 1994 the rank of Full Professor, and in 1996 the rank of Consulting Professor.

He was appointed as head of the National Group for the specialty at MINSAP from its creation in 1990, a position he held for 15 years. Likewise, he was a founding member and vice president of the Cuban Society of Pediatric Surgery, since its inception in 1994.

He was a founder in 1993 of the National Commission on Minimally Invasive Surgery of MINSAP. Founder of minimally invasive surgery in Pediatrics in Cuba. Furthermore, he was the architect of the introduction and development in the country of pediatric liver transplantation, airway surgery, among other advanced surgical programs and techniques.

He was president of the National Board for awarding the specialty of second degree in Pediatric Surgery since its inception.

He was President of the Advisory Committee to the Rector of the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, on behalf of the specialty.

Author of more than 50 works published in national and international journals and tutor and advisor of more than 40 specialty theses in Pediatric Surgery.

Other affiliations and memberships:
Member of the editorial committee of the Cuban Journal of Pediatrics since 1990.
Member of the Ibero-American Society of Pediatric Surgery.
Honorary Member of the Dominican Society of Pediatrics.
Honorary Member of the Venezuelan Society of Pediatric Surgery.

He received the following military and civil decorations:

Medals for V-X-XV years in the FAR
Medal for the XX Anniversary of the FAR
Medal for Distinguished Services in the FAR
Medal 50th Anniversary of the FAR
Medal of International Fighter of 2nd Grade
Medal of International Worker
Piti Fajardo Medal for 25 years in Public Health
Medal for National Education
Pepito Tey Medal
Medal Hospital Infantil La Paz- Madrid Spain
Medal XXV Anniversary of Teaching
Medal 50th Anniversary of the FAR
Frank País Medal for more than 30 years in teaching
Guest of the Commander in Chief at the 50th Anniversary of the WHO
Commemorative Coin 100th Anniversary of the Ministry of Public Health and 50th Anniversary of Revolutionary Public Health
Diploma and Medal Honorary Citizen of the City of Baltimore, 1999.

He represented the specialty for Cuba at numerous international events, including:

Year 1984. Guest at the Congress of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada.
Year 1984. Guest at the National Congress of Pediatrics, Dominican Republic.
Year 1987. Guest at the I Congress of Pediatric Surgery, Venezuela.
Year 1988. OPS Advisor for the launch of Hospital PP Garraham, Argentina.
Year 1998. Guest of the Commander in Chief at the 50th Anniversary of the WHO. Geneva, Switzerland
Year 2007. II World Congress of Pediatric Surgery of the WOFAPS, Argentina.

Husband and father of two children, and never ceasing to care for his family, Professor Vilorio was faced with the difficult task of planning how Pediatric Surgery would develop in Cuba.

As head of the National Group, he was a great visionary and thanks to his leadership and management ability, his contribution to the specialty was substantial, identifying and designing its future progress, supporting work in important areas such as: minimally invasive surgery, organ transplantation, oncology, airway surgery, neonatal surgery, teaching, and more, as well as the extension of these to the entire national territory. A founding member of the Cuban Society of Pediatric Surgery, he was an enthusiastic collaborator of its website and discussion list, and had an active participation in the organization of national and international events.

Consulting Professor, he was a formative influence on generations of surgeons with absolute discipline and commendable scientific rigor, based on personal example and absolute dedication to work.