Krzysztof Tadeusz Drzewiecki ( K.T. Drzewiecki )

MD D Sci Med

Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

University of Copenhagen

Curriculum Vitae

K.T.Drzewiecki

Copenhagen

June 2011

I was born in Warszawa, Poland, on 23 February 1944, where I graduated from the Medical Faculty, University of Warszawa in 1967. Both internship and basic surgical training were carried through at the University Hospital in Warszawa.

In April 1971 I immigrated to Denmark. Following a short employment at the X-ray department I got a position as trainee in surgery at the University Hospital in Odense. The Danish citizenship was conferred to me in 1977.

Training in plastic surgery was carried through at the University Hospitals in Odense and Århus, Diakonissestiftelsen in Copenhagen, and Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm.

I am a specialist (Fellow) in plastic surgery (since 1981). The title Doctor of Medicine (D.Sci.Med.) has been conferred to me at the University of Odense in 1981 following the defense of the thesis: Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma and the Epidermal Melanocytes - Studies of the cell morphology.

In 1981 I was appointed Chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Finsen Cancer Institute in Copenhagen. This Department was merged with two other departments of plastic surgery at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen in 1987. Between 1987 and 1990 I have had the responsibility for the Division of Plastic Surgical Oncology at the department of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. In 1991 I was appointed Chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery at the University Hospital Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen and in 1999 Chief of the Department of Plastic Surgery and Burn Unit, University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen. This position I had occupied until the 1 of may 2010.

Regarding my clinical practice I have a special interest within plastic surgical oncology, reconstructive plastic surgery, and aesthetic plastic surgery. I perform aesthetic surgery in my own private clinic in Copenhagen.

My main research interest has always been malignant melanoma. Most of my scientific publications concern: Etiology, diagnosis, pathology, immunology, and treatment of malignant melanoma.

The cornerstone scientific papers are: The role of prognostic factors for survival following radical surgery for melanoma. Prognostic index and its clinical value. Time trends in prognostic factors of primary melanoma in Denmark.

I have gained experience in conducting a multicenter, prospective, and randomized clinical trial from Scandinavian trials and trials conducted in cooperation with the South West Oncology Group in the US as well as EORTC clinical trials.

Teaching experience: Pregraduate teaching at the Universities of Warszawa and Copenhagen. Postgraduate teaching at the Universities of Odense and Copenhagen. I was lecturer of surgical oncology and plastic surgery at specialist courses in surgery, dermatology and family doctor practice. At present I am member of the teaching faculty of the European Courses in Plastic Surgery. I teach mostly topics in oncology and in reconstructive surgical procedures, as applied to cancer treatment and congenital anomalies.

I was Visiting Professor at the Departments of Surgery at the Tulane University in New Orleans, USA, and at the Department of Plastic Surgery at the Manitoba University in Winnipeg, Canada.

I am a research supervisor for both doctoral theses (D.Sci. Med.) and PhD projects at the University of Copenhagen.

In 2004 I was appointed as a Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Copenhagen.

Management experience: I have been Chief of the departments of plastic surgery through 26 years.

I am former president of the Danish Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and former member of the Advisory Board of EORTC Malignant Melanoma Group. I am former president of the European Board of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, a present member of IPRAS EXCO and present President of the Danish Melanoma Group.

The aim of the research is to simplify surgical reconstructive procedures in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery by means of the translational clinical research approach and to publish results in the widely recognised international journals. 

The objectives are to introduce new procedures into the clinical practise for the benefit of the patients.

Focus areas at present are to improve minimally invasive reconstructive procedures in the field of breast reconstruction following cancer surgery and to improve the treatment of patients with large burns.

We furthermore, work on optimising treatment and rehabilitation of women with  synchronous bilateral breast cancer and women with Vera early stage disease and carcinoma in situ.

Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Clinical immunology, Clinical cell therapy, Pathology and MRI imaging. The methods are randomised triple blinded clinical research protocols and tools used in breast reconstruction are harvesting the patients own mesenhymal stem cells (ASC), culturing them in vitro in order to greatly enhance their number and then enrich fat grafts used for breast reconstruction with them in order to greatly enhance graft retention. Homologous ASC will be used in burned patients. 

We also have a close collaboration with Danish Breast Cancer Group, which data base includes clinical and histo- pathologic data on more than 125.000 women with breast cancer.

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