Professor Zbigniew Zagórski

Professor Zbigniew Zagórski – in years 1968-1980 was working in Ophthalmology Clinic in Lublin directed by professor Tadeusz Krwawicz. In this time, despite the I and II specialization levels (1972), he obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree (1974) and Ph.D. assistant professor degree (1979). He was a scholar in multiple centres abroad, including the Department of Ghent University under the guidance of professor Jules François (1974-1975) and the University Clinic in Erlangen, under the guidance of professor Gottfried Naumann (1985-1986, 1991, 2002). His major clinical interest are corneal and surface of eye diseases, glaucoma surgery, and anterior segment of the eyeball and eye pathology. His major achievements in basic research embrace demonstration for the first time the ability of human corneal endothelial cells for replication and determination of factors affecting it, showing the impact of oxygen concentration on the cells proliferation of the cornea and a contribution to explain the pathogenesis of epithelial invasion.

In years 1991-2006 he was a Head of the Department and Clinic of Ophthalmology in Lublin. At this time, in the Department there was introduced into routine use phacoemulsification cataract surgery in 1994, performed probably one of the first fistula surgeries in glaucoma using anti-metabolites (since 1994) in Poland, drainage implants (since 1993), regulated sutures in trabeculectomy (of 1996) and the first in Poland limbal transplantation (1994), and amniotic membrane transplantation (1998). In 1993, there was established the first one in Poland (in Lublin) the Eye Tissue Bank, which has been supplying the material for transplantation of cornea, sclera and amniotic membrane transplantation centers in most transplantation centers in Poland.

Professor Zagórski in years 1993-2011 organized together with his coworkers several tens courses and conferences with participation of noble lecturers form Poland and abroad, including the European Corneal Conference in 1995 and the European Eye Pathology Conference in 2002.

In years 1994-2010 he was a representative of Middle-Eastern European countries in  The International Council of Ophthalmology (in years 2002-2010 he was a member of the Board of Directors). In 2003 he was chosen to be a member of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, in which among 65 members from 33 countries he is one of the 4 ophthalmologists representing Eastern European countries. Since 2004 he has been also member of the European Ophthalomology Academy with 52 ophtalmologists from 17 European countries.

In 1998 he established in Nałęczów the Eye Surgery Center, in 2002 found in the ranking of the Rzeczpospolita Newspaper to be the best non-public hospital in Poland. Currently, similar centers operate in Rzeszow, Krakow and in Lutsk, Ukraine. He is an author or a co-author of more than 200 publications and an editor and a co-author of five books.