Honoring the Legacy of Dr. Gabor B. Racz (1937–2025)
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Gabor B. Racz, MD, DABIPP, FIPP—a visionary physician, educator, and innovator whose work transformed interventional pain medicine and whose legacy continues through the mission of Racz EDU.
A Life of Resilience and Purpose
Born in Hungary in 1937, Dr. Racz fled his home country during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution after risking his safety to help care for the wounded. He found refuge in England and resumed his medical education at the University of Liverpool, graduating in 1962. His journey—marked by perseverance, scholarship, and compassion—led him to the United States, where he became a board-certified anesthesiologist and a lifelong advocate for patient-centered care.
An Innovator in Interventional Pain Medicine
Dr. Racz’s clinical contributions were both pioneering and enduring. In the early 1980s, he developed a spring-wound, shear-resistant catheter for epidural injections in patients with epidural fibrosis—an innovation sparked by a complication he witnessed in a pregnant patient. This led to the creation of the Racz® Catheter and the introduction of epidural lysis of adhesions, a minimally invasive procedure later known globally as the Racz Procedure. Today, this technique is performed hundreds of thousands of times a year around the world.
His work extended further: he adapted the catheter for intrathecal phenol injections in cancer pain, and later combined it with hypertonic saline for adhesiolysis, helping refine and standardize a set of procedures still in use today. He also contributed to the development of spinal cord stimulation and radiofrequency techniques—innovations that shaped the way chronic pain is treated.
A Professor, Mentor, and Global Educator
In 1977, Dr. Racz became the founding Chair of Anesthesiology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in Lubbock, Texas. There, he built a department focused on clinical excellence, education, and research. He later co-directed the Pain Services unit, leaving a lasting institutional legacy.
He co-founded the World Institute of Pain (WIP), helping define the standards of interventional pain education globally. His belief in the importance of hands-on learning led to the creation of Racz EDU, a training platform dedicated to educating physicians in the techniques he refined. His influence also lives on through the Annual Gabor Racz Pain Conference in Budapest, where leading experts gather in his honor to continue advancing the field he helped establish.
A Lasting Impact
Dr. Racz’s life was defined by his commitment to innovation, compassion, and the transfer of knowledge. His legacy lives on:
- In every procedure taught through Racz EDU
- In every clinician he mentored
- In every patient whose pain was eased through his vision
Share a Message in His Memory
We invite members of the medical community, colleagues, and students to share a message or memory in honor of Dr. Racz. These reflections will become part of an ongoing tribute within the Racz EDU Library.
