MILTON KEYNES — Professor Christopher Balogun-Lynch, known for developing the B-Lynch brace suture and his role in founding Milton Keynes University Hospital, died on June 15 at the age of 81. He was born in Sierra Leone on October 1, 1944.

Professor Balogun-Lynch trained in medicine at St Bartholomew's Hospital in London after graduating in law from the University of Oxford. His B-Lynch brace suture is a technique used for severe postpartum hemorrhage. Professor Balogun-Lynch also established the Myrtle Peach Trust Charity, which focuses on preventing and treating cervical and ovarian cancer.

Dr Ian Reckless, the chief medical officer at Milton Keynes University Hospital, acknowledged Professor Balogun-Lynch's contributions to the institution. "He was an inspiring force for good who was pivotal to the development of our hospital," Reckless said. He added, "Patients and colleagues alike remember him as a compassionate and hard-working person as well as an innovator who was driven by a determination to provide safe, quality care."

Consultant and divisional director of obstetrics and gynaecology at Milton Keynes University Hospital, Nandini Gupta, also spoke about his involvement. "Prof Balogun-Lynch was there right from the start of the hospital until he retired in 2010," Gupta said. She said, "He was an excellent colleague who was always available to advise and help with difficult cases." Gupta added, "He is rightly celebrated internationally for his innovative and pioneering approach, including his introduction of the B-Lynch suture, which is still being used today."

Dr Josh Balogun-Lynch, Professor Balogun-Lynch's son and a GP in Buckinghamshire, noted the global response to his father's death. "I've been getting messages from people all around the world," Balogun-Lynch said. "I'm very touched by it all, and it's making a difficult time a lot easier." Balogun-Lynch recalled encountering his father's work during his medical education. "It was a strange thing to see my own surname appear as an EMQ option in my fifth-year exam paper," he said.