Robert Purzycki interviews Zbigniew Nawrat, the founding father of a cardiac surgery robot Robin Heart (the first Polish and European robot designed for heart surgery) who conducts his research at the Medical University of Silesia (Department of Cardiac Surgery and Transplantation) and within the Foundation of Cardiac Surgery Development.
How did it happen, that a physicist became involved with medicine?
I had always desired to make the most of my scientific talents for the sake of a human being, so it should not come as a surprise that after graduation I directed myself towards the Biophysics Department of the Medical University of Silesia. So when professor Religa was establishing the Artificial Heart Laboratory, a somewhat frustrated biophysicist appeared at his door asking for some important work for the cause of patients with severe heart malfunctions. Together with a friend, Roman Kustosz – a medical device engineer and a chemist, Bogdan Stolarzewicz, we were constructing a Polish artificial heart. Later came heart valves, surgery simulations, the establishment of Cardiosurgery Development Foundation’s Heart Prostheses Institute laboratories, and so on, and so on.
How do you recall professor Religa?
A master. A pioneer. He paved a way that we, not without difficulties, do our best to follow. To him, the most important was the patient. He would confront us with each case and after some time we would come up with an appropriate technical solution. It always took ‘too long’, since the time measured was equal to the death of those who did not last. No one could engage a multidisciplinary team into a case the way he did. No one could communicatively converse with a physicist, mathematician, chemist, engineer, or even a politician or a journalist the way he did. He had a tremendous knowledge – not only in the fields of medicine. He could achieve his goals by listening to others. An unbelievable figure who used to influence people and have an impact on the environment. He changed me, and he changed the whole Zabrze. His apprentices are nowadays at helm of the most innovative Cardiosurgery Clinics in Poland. Whereas I have taken on an inheritance which, with the respect due to Him and my colleagues, I do my best to manage – the Heart Protheses Institute, of which he was the creator and the first director.
What are the advantages of medical robots, what is the purpose for you designing them?
Medical robots are fascinating from the scientific and practical points of view. The introduction of robots fitted with remote control and long range data transfer systems will in future bring specific economical effects and will enable performing surgical procedures in difficult situations, such as war, epidemic, space travel and all other situations, where there may be lack of professional staff. The developing medical robotics creates direct contact tools via telemedicine technology with a patient or medical personnel.
Polish family of a surgical robot named Robin Heart is an opportunity for the introduction into clinical practice of modern, efficient surgeon tools. Thanks to them there will be a possibility to use more widely a technique of less invasive surgery for the patient, safely for the patient and… the doctor. Robin Heart Vision, planned to be implemented in the near future by the Cardiosurgery Development Foundation, will replace the assistant holding and controlling the location of the video track and allow to execute the operation solo, by one operator.
Are artificial surgeons planting artificial organs (organs’ prostheses) the medicine’s future?
Yes. They will be used for minimally invasive implantations and servicing artificial organs. However, we do not yet have blood pumps or other implantable devices that would be durable enough. With the perspective of implanting medical devices for as long as 20 years, we need to introduce appropriate robots that would monitor their use and perform periodic repairs.
Please elaborate on other aspects of your work – lectures, seminars, organization of the Cardiosurgery Development Foundation.
The first and only meetings of a kind – BioMedTech Silesia – in Spring, Medical Robots – in December. I have also invented Confrontations – meetings on innovations, but also on life, always having an artistic tone to them. For instance, Confrontations “The escape from the world of silence” was related to the greatest art exhibition featuring the paintings of hearing-impaired artists so far. In October this year I kindly invite everybody to the New Theatre in Zabrze for the next Med&Art Confrontations. Performers will be hobbyists – people of medical and bioengineering professions – and the audience will consist of supporting artists. Besides, I have published five books – amongst others the first book in Poland on medical robots and… we have given away a few thousand of them to those people, for whom they were the chance to establish their own path.
What does Zbigniew Nawrat do “after hours”? Are there any passions beside those at work?
I look forward to publish a record with my songs – I play music with my former medicine students. It is worth cooperating with the young and ambitious and… quite frankly I conduct my scientific team just like a good jazz band – I provide them with a theme, but everybody has their own solo, has a chance to perform a leading part. Because good works can only be created in a harmony.