My interest in complex hernia surgery was sparked by my mentor, Professor Neil Smart. He encouraged me to apply for this fellowship and I’m ever so grateful for his advice and direction.
I must also give thanks to another hernia family friend, Mr Maciej Pawlak, who put me in touch with his own mentor, Professor Maciej Smietanski, allowing me to undertake this fantastic opportunity in the beautiful city of Gdansk, Poland.
Being a Polish National, but having undergone all of my undergraduate and postgraduate training in the United Kingdom, I was uniquely placed to benefit from a visit to Professor Smietanski’s centre and to engage with this leading expert in the field. I gained invaluable insight and practical skills that will significantly improve my ability to address complex hernia cases effectively.
The visit to Prof Smietanski’s hernia centre was both educational and culturally enriching. I was warmly welcomed by him, as well as his team – Dr Mateusz Zamkowski, Dr Michal Putko and Magdalena Halska.
I had a chance to observe patient pathways from index visit, imaging, pre-operative planning, optimisation, surgery itself and follow up. Witnessing and being walked through the decision making process of each patient and how a particular technique was more suited than another was very eye opening. It taught me an important lesson how certain techniques have a place in current practice when conditions and patient factors call for it. The approach was always evidence based and the team shared a lot of their own research with me.
Watching Prof Smietanski operate was a real joy. His technical mastery of a wide selection of procedures was unparalleled. I had a chance to witness a whole spectrum of procedures; from open and minimally invasive inguinal, umbilical and ventral (primary and recurrent), post-partum abdominal wall insufficiency syndrome (PPAWIS), to complex abdominal wall reconstruction with a loss of domain requiring a deployment of a true array of techniques to achieve successful outcome.
As a true renaissance man, Prof Smietanski welcomed me with a visit to the Polish Baltic Philharmonic, widened my horizons through sharing of his poetry and art, as well as the modern history of Gdansk city and the region. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to visit his gallery during my stay and it is something I must return for to experience. I did, however manage to visit Maciej Pawlak in Gdynia for a lovely dinner and walk with both our families on our final night, marking an excellent end to my travelling fellowship.
By interacting with the Gdansk team, I broadened my perspective, challenged my understanding, and explored novel approaches that will improve my personal practice in the UK. I was particularly interested in drawing on Prof Smietanski’s expertise as a leading figure in PPAWIS and learning more from him on this subject.
I believe that by implementing the obtained knowledge on my return to the UK it will allow me to become an ambassador for the excellence, groundbreaking research and innovation of my home country.
Blazej Rybinski
