The idea behind the Golden Scalpel competition is to identify visionaries and innovators whose projects have the potential to bring about real change in Polish medicine and healthcare. We are delighted that once again, scientists from our university are among the leaders. Thanks to their daily work—both scientific and clinical—more and more patients have the chance to live longer, healthier lives, and their innovative ideas improve diagnostics and treatment, raising the quality of medical care.
Honorable mentions in the “Golden Scalpel” competition
1st place: Groundbreaking therapeutic program for children with hepatitis C
Program director: Prof. Maria Pokorska-Śpiewak, Deputy Head of the Department of Children’s Infectious Diseases WUM, Deputy Head of the Children’s Infectious Diseases Ward at the Provincial Infectious Diseases Hospital in Warsaw.
The project represents a breakthrough in the treatment of children with hepatitis C (HCV) in Poland. Thanks to the cooperation of partner centers, the first comprehensive therapeutic program in the country was developed and implemented, involving the use of modern direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in pediatric patients. The program has enabled the effective and safe treatment of children as young as 3 years of age, eliminating the need for interferon, which was highly toxic and ineffective. DAA drugs represent a revolution in the treatment of HCV infections and, as preparations with excellent efficacy (almost 100%) and a good safety profile, they are currently the basis of hepatitis C therapy in adults.
4th place: New program supporting liver transplants in Poland
Project implementers: Prof. Michał Grąt, Prof. Waldemar Patkowski, Maciej Krasnodębski, MD, PhD, Łukasz Masior, MD, PhD, Konrad Kobryń, MD, PhD, Wacław Hołówko, MD, PhD, Paweł Rykowski, MD, Wojciech Figiel, MD, PhD, Adam Bołtuć, MD – Chair and Department of General, Transplant and Liver Surgery WUM.
The Medical University of Warsaw developed Poland's first liver transplant support program, which was a breakthrough in the treatment of the most severe cases of acute and chronic liver failure. In 2024, a team led by Prof. Michał Grąt performed the first such operations in the country, and one of the few in the world. To date, three supportive transplant procedures have been performed – in patients with severe liver injuries and in cases of acute poisoning with the death cap mushroom.
Unlike classic transplantation, in which the entire diseased liver is replaced with a donor organ, in assisted transplantation, part of the recipient's liver is left in place and a fragment of the donor's liver is added. The newly implanted fragment acts as a “biological prosthesis,” supporting the patient's body until their own liver regenerates. This solution increases patient safety, reduces the risk of serious complications, and avoids the need for long-term immunosuppression if the patient's own organ regains function.
5th place: Poland's first fully transcutaneous tricuspid and mitral valve implantations
Team leaders: Adam Rdzanek, MD, PhD, and Piotr Ścisło, MD, PhD; team members: Ewa Pędzich, MD, PhD, Dr. Ewa Ostrowska, Prof. Agnieszka Kapłon-Cieślicka, Dr. Jan Sobieraj, Dr. Adam Piasecki, Prof. Mariusz Tomaniak, Prof. Zenon Huczek, Prof. Janusz Kochman – 1st Chair and Department of Cardiology WUM (Head of the department: Prof. Marcin Grabowski).
In 2025, the 1st Chair and Department of Cardiology WUM achieved a breakthrough in the treatment of heart valve defects by performing the first transcatheter tricuspid valve implantation procedures in Poland as well as Central and Eastern Europe. These implants represent a milestone in the development of minimally invasive cardiac therapies and open a new era in the treatment of patients with advanced heart failure, for whom conventional surgery was previously impossible.
In March, a team led by Dr. Adam Rdzanek and Piotr Ścisło, MD, PhD, performed Poland's first transcatheter tricuspid valve implantation using the Evoque system – the world's first device enabling complete replacement of this valve without opening the chest. In three patients with severe heart failure, tricuspid regurgitation was completely eliminated, and all procedures were completely successful and without complications. Another breakthrough was the first transcatheter mitral valve replacement procedures performed in Poland and the region by the same team in August, using the Sapien M3 system – the world's first device allowing for completely percutaneous, non-surgical replacement of this valve. The procedures were performed on two patients with severe mitral regurgitation who were not eligible for the previously used treatment methods. In both cases, the implantation was successful, resulting in immediate improvement in heart function and quality of life.
These pioneering procedures, previously available only in clinical trials, were introduced into clinical practice for the first time in this part of Europe, enabling the effective treatment of high-risk patients. The fact that the Warsaw department was among the first in Europe to be selected to perform these procedures confirms its reputation and high level of competence in the field of interventional cardiology. The team's achievements not only open up new possibilities for patients with severe heart failure, but also strengthen the position of Polish cardiology at the forefront of modern medicine worldwide.
7th place: Development and implementation of a minimally invasive treatment model for iatrogenic pulmonary vein stenosis
Implementers: a team of cardiologists, radiologists, and pulmonologists from the University Clinical Center WUM, consisting of: Arkadiusz Pietrasik, MD, PhD, Rafał Maciąg, MD, PhD, Prof. Janusz Kochman, Monika Budnik, MD, PhD, Radosław Piątkowski, MD, PhD, Piotr Lodziński, MD, PhD, Aleksandra Gąsecka-van der Pol, MD, PhD, Karolina Jasińska, MD, PhD, Michał Sajdek, MD, PhD, Marta-Warzęchowska, MD, PhD, Prof. Tadeusz Przybyłowski, Prof. Rafał Krenke, Prof. Marcin Grabowski.
A team of specialists from the Clinical Center WUM has developed and implemented Poland's first minimally invasive method for treating iatrogenic pulmonary vein stenosis, a rare but extremely dangerous complication following atrial fibrillation ablation. This complication affects 1-4% of patients after surgery, leading to shortness of breath, recurrent infections, and hemoptysis, and its diagnosis is often delayed due to nonspecific symptoms.
As part of the project, six patients underwent treatment using an innovative therapeutic algorithm that combines precise imaging diagnostics with safe percutaneous intervention. The diagnosis was based on computed tomography and transesophageal echocardiography, and therapeutic decisions were made by a team of cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, radiologists, and pulmonologists.
The procedures were performed under general anesthesia with the guidance of transesophageal echocardiography, which enabled precise puncture of the interatrial septum. After introducing a steerable vascular sheath into the left atrium, angioplasty with self-expanding stent implantation was performed under intravascular ultrasound guidance. This visualization method (previously used mainly in coronary arteries) was applied in pulmonary veins for the first time in Poland, which enabled precise stent fitting, optimization of the angiographic effect, and thus maximization of the effectiveness of the procedure.
The project represents a breakthrough in Polish interventional cardiology – not only does it introduce a new standard for the diagnosis and treatment of iatrogenic pulmonary vein stenosis, but it also confirms the importance of interdisciplinary cooperation and the use of advanced imaging technologies. Thanks to this method, patients with this dangerous disease have a real chance of effective treatment, improved quality of life, and reduced risk of complications.
The Golden Scalpel competition was organized by the editorial staff of Puls Medycyny magazine. Entries were evaluated by an 18-member jury composed of distinguished experts representing various fields of medicine. The award could be received for inventing a new diagnostic or therapeutic method, developing a new strategy related to the organization and management of healthcare, or modernizing the Polish healthcare system through the implementation of innovative global solutions.
Based on material from Puls Medycyny. Photo: Emilia Zielińska; source: https://pulsmedycyny.pl/