Professor Waldemar Lech Olszewski

Born in Piastów /Warsaw, Poland. Received General Certificate of Education in 1948 in Warsaw. Started university studies first at Faculty of Law, Warsaw University in 1948 (through 1950) to change for Faculty of Medicine in 1949. Graduated in 1954, passed Board in Surgery exams in 1962. Received degree of PhD in 19962 and D.Science in 1968. Since 1970 associate professor at the Dept. of Surgery, Medical Academy, and Medical Research Center, Polish Academy of Sciences in  Warsaw, since 1978 until now full professor at the same centers including  1997-99 chairman of Clinical Department of Surgery, Ministry of Internal Affairs/Polish Academy of Science Hospital, Warsaw.

 

Received postgraduate training and carried out research studies at Hammersmith Hospital, London during the period 1962-63, then at Harvard Medical School in Boston, USA, between 1968 and 1970. Worked at City Hospital#4, Warsaw, then Dept. of Surgery, Medical Academy, and Medical Research Center, Warsaw as head of Dept. of Surgical Research & Transplantation and since 1997 as Chief of Clinical Department of Surgery, Ministry of Internal Affaires/Polish Academy of Sciences Hospital, Warsaw.

Other professional positions include Visiting Professor at Radiumhospitalet, Oslo,(since 1976-), St.Bartholomew's Medical School, London (since 1994-), Research Officer World Health Organization, Madras-Pondicherry-Benares, India (since 1992-). Shanghai Jiao Tong University Honorary Professor (2006-)

 

Served as President of European Society for Surgical Research in 1977-78, President of International Society of Lymphology in 1989-91, President of Polish Society for Immunology in 1995-98. Served also as member of editorial boards of many international medical journals among them Lymphology (USA), International Angiology (GB), Central European Journal of Immunology (Poland), Phlebolinfologia (Spain), Cell Transplantation (USA), Lymphatic Research and Biology (USA), US-Chinese Journal of Lymphology and Oncology (China), Indian Medical Research J (India), Annals of Transplantation (Poland).

 

Doctor Honoris Causa Universita di Genova, Italy (2005).

 

Awards of the Czech Medical Society-Purkynie Medal, Italian Surgical- Society-Carlo Erba medal, International Society of Lymphology  (USA) (1975), National Lymphedema Network USA (2006), Lymphatic Research Foundation NIH (USA) 2006, American Society of Lymphology USA (2007), Polish Academy of Sciences (2006), Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Phlebologie- v Ratschow Medal (2012), Bene Merito Medal-Polish Foreign Ministry-contribution to world medicine (2013), award Wound Healing Society USA (2014), two awards Wound Healing Society USA (2015), .

 

Honorary member of the Society of Polish Surgeons, Polish Transplantation Society, Japanese Surgical Society, Korean Medical Society, Argentinian Medical Society, Italian Society of Lymphology, Brazilian Society of Angiology, Slovak Medical Society, Polish Society of Phlebology, Lymphology Section Polish Society of Phlebology.

 

Clinical and research interests comprise vascular surgery, transplantation, physiology and surgery of the lymphatic system, and immunology. Published around 600 publications, 7 scientific books among them Peripheral Lymph - formation and immune function (CRC Press, USA, 1985), In Vivo Immune Cell Migration (CRC Press, USA, 1987), Handbook of Microsurgery (CRC Press, USA 1987) and Lymph Stasis - pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment ( CRC Press, USA, 1991), Concise compendium of lymphology,( Springer, USA, 2011).(sec edition 2018).

 

Main scientific contributions include: first in Poland clinical kidney transplantation (with J Nielubowicz), designing and introducing into clinical practice the surgical lympho-venous shunts (1966),  discovery of spontaneous lymphatic contractility in humans (1980) (nominated to Nobel Committee 2016), proving that bacterial factor is responsible for development of human limb lymphedema (1994), introducing low-dose, long-term penicillin administration for prevention of chronic dermatitis and lymphangitis in Asian countries (1996), detecting the phenomenon of non-specific elimination of cell grafts (1990), preservation of tissues for transplantation in dehydrating sodium chloride (2003), tumor cell mummification for experimental vaccines (2010), method for attenuation of host innate immunity reaction to cell (hepatocyte) transplantation (2010), implantation of artificial “silicone lymphatics” (2014).

 

Selected recent publications with CSK MSW affiliation:

 

The Effectiveness of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression in Therapy of Lymphedema of Lower Limbs: Methods of Evaluation and Results.

Zaleska MT, Olszewski WL.

Lymphat Res Biol. 2018 Oct 3. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2018.0005. [Epub ahead of print]

 

Cellulitis and bacteria in peripheral lymphedema.

Olszewski WL.

Lymphology. 2018;51(2):54-56.

 

Comments to Lymphatic Medicine: Paradoxically and Unnecessarily Ignored by Stanley G. Rockson Lymphatic Research and Biology 15:315-316.

Olszewski WL, Zaleska MT.

Lymphat Res Biol. 2018 Aug;16(4):418-420

 

Serum Immune Proteins in Limb Lymphedema Reflecting Tissue Processes Caused by Lymph Stasis and Chronic Dermato-lymphangio-adenitis (Cellulitis).

Zaleska MT, Olszewski WL.

Lymphat Res Biol. 2017 Sep;15(3):246-251. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2017.0003.IF-1.55

 

Mechanism and Physiologic Significance of the Suppression of Cholesterol Esterification in Human Interstitial Fluid.

Miller NE, Olszewski WL, Miller IP, Nanjee MN.

Front Pharmacol. 2016 Jul 15;7:216. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00216,IF-4.3

 

Bacteria of leg atheromatous arteries responsible for inflammation.

Olszewski WL, Rutkowska J, Moscicka-Wesolowska M, Swoboda-Kopec E, Stelmach E, Zaleska M, Zagozda M.

Vasa. 2016 Sep;45(5):379-85. doi: 10.1024/0301-1526/a000549.IF-1.1

 

Virulence of Bacteria Colonizing Vascular Bundles in Ischemic Lower Limbs.

Olszewski WL, Podbielska A, Galkowska H, Golas M, Piskorska K, Stelmach E, Swoboda E, Zaleska M, Durlik M.

Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2016 Feb;17(1):89-93. doi: 10.1089/sur.2014.184.If-1.3

 

Genetic Polymorphism and Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Concentrations of TNFα and TGFβ Genes in Patients with Chronic Lower Limb Infections.

Zagozda M, Sarnecka A, Staszczak Z, Gałkowska H, Andziak P, Olszewski WL, Durlik M.

Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2015 Dec;16(6):822-8. doi: 10.1089/sur.2014.205, IF-1.3

 

A novel method for long-lasting preservation of arterial grafts.

Gewartowska M, Olszewski WL, Buyanowskaya O, Frontczak-Baniewicz M.

J Surg Res. 2016 Jan;200(1):374-86. doi: 10.1016/j.jss.2015.07.046. IF-2.18

 

Cryptic Bacteria of Lower Limb Deep Tissues as a Possible Cause of Inflammatory and Necrotic Changes in Ischemia, Venous Stasis and Varices, and Lymphedema.

Olszewski WL, Zaleska M, Stelmach E, Swoboda-Kopec E, Jain P, Agrawal K, Gogia S, Gogia A, Andziak P, Durlik M.

Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2015 Jun;16(3):313-22. doi: 10.1089/sur.2014.019, IF-1.3

 

The Hydromechanics of Edema Fluid in Lymphedematous Lower Limb During Intermittent Pneumatic Compression.

Kaczmarek M, Olszewski WL, Nowak J, Zaleska M.

Lymphat Res Biol. 2015 Dec;13(4):260-7. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2013.0047, IF-1.7

 

The effectiveness of intermittent pneumatic compression in long-term therapy of lymphedema of lower limbs.

Zaleska M, Olszewski WL, Durlik M.

Lymphat Res Biol. 2014 Jun;12(2):103-9. doi: 10.1089/lrb.2013.0033,IF-1.7

 

Skin own bacteria may aggravate inflammatory and occlusive changes in atherosclerotic arteries of lower limbs.

Andziak P, Olszewski WL, Moscicka-Wesolowska M, Interewicz B, Swoboda E, Wastelmach E.

Int Angiol. 2012 Oct;31(5):474-82, IF-1.1

 

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