‘New techniques require new skills’

Professor Dr. Andrzej Baranski is a transplant surgeon at the LUMC and initiator of the international masterclass in organ retrieval.

Baranski was trained as a transplant surgeon in Warsaw, but has now been working at the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) for over 25 years. There, he not only performed hundreds of retrievals and transplants, but also trained many young surgeons.

Taking good care of donor organs

‘Patients in the Netherlands are still dying on the waiting list because no suitable donor organ is available. So we must be very careful with donor organs. Retrieval is a very delicate process. If you make mistakes during retrieval, you can damage a good organ to such an extent that it is sometimes no longer suitable for transplantation.’

A specialty you have to learn

Baranski has been committed for decades to ensuring that retrieval surgeons master the profession down to the last detail. Training in transplant medicine is a long process. You need not only technical knowledge, but also a great love for people. You must know the anatomy of abdominal organs excellently — including the rare variants.’

A first in Europe

The first transplant course that Baranski organized together with the NTS in 1999 was an immediate great success. The course grew into the very first international ‘hands-on course’. And he campaigned for the certification of retrieval surgeons, a first in Europe. The Netherlands became the first country where qualified retrieval surgeons are recognized by the government.

Ever better results

Figures show that great progress has been made over the past decades. At the end of the last century, about 50% of pancreases were damaged to such an extent after retrieval that they could not be transplanted. Now that is only 1%. It also translates into good survival rates in the Netherlands. ‘These are comparable to those of top foreign transplant centers,’ states Baranski.

More transparency needed

Yet Baranski is not yet satisfied. He advocates for more transparency regarding results, not to judge, but to learn from each other. In addition, he insists on continuous education, even for experienced surgeons. After all, new techniques such as faster retrieval procedures and preservation machines constantly require new knowledge and skills. ‘The best thing about my work? Seeing young surgeons grow. It is hard work, but also the most beautiful profession in the world.’