Robert William Kistner (August 23, 1917 - February 6, 1990) was a gynecologist who specialized in the treatment of endometriosis and was involved in the early development of the birth control pill.[1]
Kistner was born in Cincinnati, Ohio,[1] the son of Alfred and Gertrude Kistner; he graduated from the University of Cincinnati and from its medical school in 1942.[1] [2]
Following his internship at Cincinnati General Hospital (now the University of Cincinnati Medical Center), he was a resident at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and Kings County Hospital Center in New York, before moving to Boston Hospital for Women (now Brigham and Women's Hospital). Kistner was a senior attending physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital.[1] He was an associate clinical professor at Harvard Medical School, and specialized in surgery to correct infertility. He was previously a chief of staff at Boston Hospital for Women, and a consultant for the New England Baptist Hospital.
Kistner was named the 32nd president of the American Fertility Society in 1979. He was a member of the American College of Surgeons, and a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He was an advocate of the first birth control pills,[1] not only as a contraceptive, but also for protection against uterine cancer.
Kistner served in the Pacific theatre of World War II as a flight surgeon for the United States Army Air Corps,[3] and chief of air evacuation.[4] When the war ended, he continued consulting for the Air Force.[4]
Kistner was the author of more than 175 articles and numerous books,[4] [5] including:[4]
According to the Duka and DeCherney, among Kistner's notable journal-published research are three papers published early in his career:[4]
The Kistner Library at Brigham and Women's Hospital was dedicated after his death to his 34 years of service.[4]
Kistner was married to Georgia Golde in 1943,[10] and to Janet Langhart in 1978.[11] He had four children with Golde: Dana, Robert Jr., Stephen, and Peter.[1] The Boston Globe "Who's Who" in Boston medicine described Kistner in 1980 as well dressed, a "brilliant surgeon as well as researcher" and "one of the best known gynecologists in the world long before he achieved a special kind of local celebrity with his marriage".[12] After 38 years of practicing medicine and teaching, he retired and moved to Wellington, Florida,[1] [3] where he died at the age of 72.[1]
Kistner served as a trustee for Noble and Greenough School and was a member of the Harvard Club of Boston.[3]