Elmer Carson Rigby; Pioneer in Thoracic Surgery

Dr. Elmer Carson Rigby, 80, thoracic surgeon who developed a novel approach for removing lung tumors without fully opening the chest. Born in Newton, Utah, and brought up in Idaho Falls, Ida., Rigby graduated from the University of Utah and Harvard Medical School. He became a lieutenant colonel in the Army during World War II. After studying thoracic surgery at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, he set up practice in Los Angeles in 1949. Rigby quickly became recognized as a pioneer in the developing specialty of cardiothoracic surgery. Practicing until his death, he continued to develop techniques contributing to faster recovery for chest surgery patients. He was a past president of the American College of Chest Physicians and held staff positions at St. John’s, Cedars-Sinai, Hollywood Presbyterian and St. Vincent’s hospitals. On Sept. 8 in a small-plane accident near Sun Valley, Ida.