Professor Igor Gregorič, a top Slovenian heart surgeon from Houston
January 2011
‘Knowledge counts, the patients we help count, relationships count,’ says Professor Igor Gregorič, Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support and Associate Chief of the Transplant Service at the Texas Heart Institute. But to this Slovene, a graduate of Ljubljana Faculty of Medicine who moved to the United States 26 years ago to widen and deepen his knowledge, titles in reality mean very little. If one had asked him, when he made his ‘temporary’ move from Slovenia (‘I wasn’t planning to stay’), whether he was prepared to work 12 hours a day – on a voluntary basis at the beginning – or to give up his holidays, or to learn and pass on the fruits of that learning to students, he would not have hesitated to say yes.
The doctor’s mission is to help his fellow man
Today, when he occupies such a top position, his answer is the same: he has not had a holiday for 20 years, and has passed on his knowledge not only to his young American colleagues but also to some 500 young Slovenian doctors. And even more importantly: to at least as many he has tried to communicate and pass on his own principles regarding the correct ethical relationship to the patient.
The future is in ‘mechanical support’
- Prof. Igor Gregorič. Photo: Šimen Zupančič
Prof. Gregorič is a man and a professional who brings a great deal of knowledge to his vocation and spends a great deal of time carrying out research that will benefit patients. ‘In the medium to long term, the future for the treatment of heart disease lies in stem cell treatment, but the research is still at the early stages. They began to build aircraft in the 19th century, but it was only at the beginning of the 20th century that they were made to fly. At that time, everyone was saying it wasn’t possible. Stem cells are, I believe, at that stage now – these babies have only just started to walk (smiles). In the medium term, however …’
Then, he says, heart surgery as we know it today will probably no longer exist. ‘We shouldn’t forget that heart surgery has only been around for 50 years. We have therefore seen the ascension, summit and now something of a decline in certain branches of heart surgery. In 50 years’ time, the public and doctors will probably be asking themselves what things were like today; and it would be great to see what things will be like then’ (smiles).
Treating the heart means finding new methods of treatment, he says. ‘Technology has advanced greatly and the flow of information is extraordinary. My area is heart disease, which is a very advanced disease, the last stage, and that’s where my main surgical interest lies, in my research and my clinical work. In the next 20 or 30 years, I believe that mechanical support will be used in this particular area of cardiology.’ What about artificial hearts? ‘Mechanical support is only an additional support to the human heart; an artificial heart means replacement of the human heart. I work in both areas, although an artificial heart is used very, very rarely: the technology has advanced, but the results of clinical research (our institute is one of the leading artificial heart centres) have not been positive. The range of patients that would need an artificial heart is very small and the industry, for financial reasons, cannot invest a great deal in it. Mechanical support, on the other hand, is growing rapidly. Five years ago there were around 1,500 auxiliary pumps installed around the world helping patients with a weak heart: The first generation had primitive technology, the second was already more advanced and gave results that were twice as positive. Today, survival using the third generation of pumps is 90% in six months. This means that the results are getting closer to those obtained with transplantation. These pumps are getting smaller and easier to insert into the chest cavity, and the results are getting better. This method is, until other methods are developed, one of the best for patients in the last stage of heart disease.
Text by Miša Čermak; full text: Sinfo, January 2011
Prof. Igor Gregorič's quotes
Professor Igor Gregorič – Slovene in spirit, a citizen of the world in his work – says:
‘Those of us who try to treat the heart must do this with heart ourselves – and with spirit.’
‘Titles are, in reality, not that important to me. For me, what is more important is what someone does, what attitude they have to their work, what approach they take to improving. The doctor’s mission is to help his fellow man and to pass on his knowledge to others so that tomorrow will be a better day.’
‘The aim of every doctor should be to do something that will bring a better tomorrow. Every title brings greater responsibility, every title brings more opportunities for progress – I am talking about research here.’
The Texas Heart Institute
The Texas Heart Institute is a large institution in the American city of Houston operating in the field of cardiovascular surgery, heart transplants and mechanical support for a weak heart. This world-renowned institution is rated this year as one of the top ten in America, as it has been for the last 20 years, which makes it one of the very best institutions in the world.
Prof. Gregorič is Director of Mechanical Circulatory Support and Associate Director of the Transplant Service, as well as a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon concerned with following the development trends of science.