Dr. Wojciech Dobkowski
Professor Emeritus as of 2016Dr. Dobkowski received his MD in 1971 in Warsaw, Poland following which he completed residency training in Anesthesia in Poland. In 1981 Dr. Dobkowski moved to France where he held the position of Specialist in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care at University Hospital in Beaujon, Paris. He then made the move to Toronto to complete Fellowship training in the Malignant Hyperthermia Investigation Laboratory at the University of Toronto. Following this he was accepted into the Anesthesia Residency Program and then into a Cardiac Anesthesia Fellowship at Western University, London, Ontario. In 1988 he received his certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and he accepted the position of Consultant in the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine at LHSC where he remained until his retirement in December, 2015.
Throughout his career, he worked tirelessly to provide exemplary anesthesia care to many patients. Not only was he a pioneer in the area of anesthesia for liver transplantation but also instrumental in the development of the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society Liver Transplant Group. Dr. Dobkowski was a leader in the area of Anesthesia for minimally invasive cardiac surgery and in 1998 he was a member of the cardiac team which performed the world’s first closed chest coronary artery bypass graft.
Throughout his stellar career, Dr. Dobkowski also devoted himself to a variety of administrative leadership positions which included Director of the Acute Pain Service, Director of Anesthesia/Transplantation Services, Co-Director of the Cardiac Academic Group and Site Chief of the University Hospital Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine.
Dr. Dobkowski served as a reviewer for several journals for many years. He had over 30 peer reviewed publications, as well as several abstracts and book chapters. He was a sought-after visiting professor and gave numerous invited lectures all over the world.
In recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to Anesthesia over many years, Dr. Dobkowski received the Gold Medal from the Canadian Anesthesiologists’ Society in 2011, the Society’s highest award.
Recent Publications
Suphathamwit A, Dhir A, Dobkowski W, Quan D. Successful hepatectomy using venovenous bypass in a patient with carcinoid heart disease with severe tricuspid regurgitation. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2015 May 8.
Adams C, Burns DJ, Chu MW, Jones PM, Shridar K, Teefy P, Kostuk WJ, Dobkowski WB, Romsa J, Kiaii B. Single-stage hybrid coronary revascularization with long-term follow-up. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2014 Mar;45(3):438-42.
Kiaii B, Fox S, Swinamer SA, Rayman R, Higgins J, Dobkowski WB, et al. The early inflammatory response in a mini-cardiopulmonary bypass system: a prospective randomized study. Innovations (Phila). 2012 Jan-Feb;7(1):23-32.
Jones PM, Bainbridge D, Dobkowski W, Harle CC, Murkin JM, Fernandes PS, Kiaii B. Comparison of MAX-ACT and K-ACT values when using bivalirudin anticoagulation during minimally invasive hybrid off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 2011 Jun;25(3):415-8.
Clive Landis R, Murkin JM, Stump DA, Baker RA, Arrowsmith JE, De Somer F, Dain SL, Dobkowski WB, et al. Consensus statement: minimal criteria for reporting the systemic inflammatory response to cardiopulmonary bypass. Heart Surg Forum. 2010 Apr;13(2):E116-23.
McClure RS, Higgins J, Swinamer SA, Rayman R, Dobkowski WB, Kostuk WJ, Kiaii B. Bivalirudin as an anticoagulant for simultaneous integrated coronary artery revascularization - a novel approach to an inherent concern. Can J Cardiol. 2009 Jul;25(7):425-7.
