Irinel Popescu

Irinel Popescu, M.D. (born on 22 April 1953[2]) is a Romanian surgeon,[3] specialized in hepato-pancrato-biliary surgery, and a corresponding member of the Romanian Academy (since November 2013). In 2000, he introduced liver transplantation in Romania and in 2008, he also firstly brought robotic surgery to this country.

Irinel Popescu
Born(1953-04-22)22 April 1953
Filiași, Dolj County, Romanian People's Republic
Alma materCarol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy
Years active1977–present
Known forfirst human liver transplant in Romania
Medical career
ProfessionSurgeon, Politician
InstitutionsFundeni Clinical Institute
Sub-specialtiesLiver transplantation
AwardsOrder of the Star of Romania, Grand Cross Rank[1]

Career

Irinel Popescu was born in Filiași, Dolj County, attended Frații Buzești High School in Craiova and the Faculty of Medicine at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Bucharest, which he graduated in 1977 with an average of 9.98.[3]

He was ranked first in the year’s "Internship Competition in Surgical Specialties" and received the "Elena Dimitriu" award for the best graduation average and the best result in the internship exam.[3] In 1980, he became resident in surgery and the Assistant Professor at “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Surgical Department of Fundeni Clinical Institute.[3] In 1983 he became Attending Surgeon (medic specialist) being classified first at the national competition and in 1990 a Senior Attending Surgeon (medic primar) and a PhD with the thesis "Acute hemorrhagic gastric ulcers; clinicopathological study of 340 cases” at the Carol Davila UMF Bucharest, under the guidance of Dan Setlacec.

He completed several training courses in liver transplantation (Berlin, 1989, Paris, 1990, Pittsburgh, 1991–1992, New York, 1992–1994). After 1995, he took part in the construction of the national organ transplantation program in Romania, becoming the President of the "Romtransplant" Association in 1997 and representing Romania in the Council of Europe – the Transplantation Commission. Together with Prof. Virginia Ion and Dr. Victor Tomulescu, he introduced the program for myasthenia gravis at the Fundeni Clinical Institute.[4]

In 1999, Popescu became Professor of Surgery at the Carol Davila UMF and Head of the Department of Surgery at the Fundeni Clinical Institute. In 2000, he obtained the certificates of the Ministry of Health of specialization in liver surgery and liver transplantation, oncological surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and medical management of health.[5] Also in 2000, he introduced liver transplantation at the clinical level (the first successful surgeries on an adult, with a whole liver, and a child, with a fragment of a liver) in the Center for Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation Fundeni. Currently, the number of transplant surgeries has exceeded 1,000.

He also had important contributions to establishing transplantation programs in the Republican Hospital in Chișinău (2013), the Sfânta Maria Hospital in Bucharest (2013), and the Sfântul Spiridon Hospital in Iași (2016).[5] In 2006, he founded ARCHBPT (Romanian Association of Hepato-bilio-pancreatic Surgery and Liver Transplantation), laying the foundations for training in the hepato-bilio-pancreatic surgery subspecialty (national coordinator of the hbp surgery certificate organized by the Ministry of Health). He made numerous theoretical contributions in Romanian surgery in liver (extended hepatectomies, total vascular isolation, two stage hepatetomies, ALPPS procedure) and pancreatic surgery (posterior approach, total excision of the mesopancreas).

In 2008, Popescu introduced robotic surgery in Romania within the "George Emil Palade" research platform of the Carol Davila UMF Bucharest (over 1,000 robotic surgeries performed in the Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation Center of the Fundeni Clinical Institute). He became the coordinator for Training Programs (doctoral, postdoctoral studies) within the "George Emil Palade" Interdisciplinary Training and Research Platform for Translational Medicine at the Carol Davila UMF. He guided 20 doctoral students with completed theses.

Since 2012, he has been the Manager of the Center for Digestive Diseases and Liver Transplantation – Fundeni Clinical Institute.[6] In 2012, he won an European funded project for the construction of the Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine (CEMT) within the Fundeni Clinical Institute.[6] The center was inaugurated in March 2016 with laboratories of pathology, molecular biology, cell cultures, a  tumor bank, and a laboratory of experimental surgery.

As the coordinator of numerous research projects, he obtained the title of Scientific Researcher first degree (2019) and made important contributions to the genomics of pancreatic cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.[7]

Since 2016, he has been a professor in the School of Medicine at Titu Maiorescu University, where he established the Nicolae Cajal Medical Research Institute.[8] In 2020, he was appointed Associated Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Dunărea de Jos University in Galați, Enna extension (Italy), and received the title of Professor Emeritus of Dunărea de Jos University (2020). He was also appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Belgrade (2019) and at the Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Chișinău, Moldova.

Awards and honors
  • Director of the Postgraduate Training Institute for Doctors and Pharmacists (1998)
  • Secretary of State at the Ministry of Health (1999–2001)
  • Medical Director of  Fundeni Clinical Institute (2000–2004)
  • Senator – Chairman of the Committee on Education, Youth and Sport (2004–2008)
  • President of the National Insurance House (2009)
  • Vice-president of CNATDCU (Higher Commission of the Ministry of Education for the awarding of university titles and diplomas) (2006–2011)

Books

National Textbooks
  • Liver surgery, Irinel Popescu (Editor) (2 vols), University Publishing House "Carol Davila" Bucharest 2004 (Iuliu Hațieganu Prize of the Romanian Academy)
  • Liver Transplantation, Irinel Popescu (editor), Academiei Publishing House, 2011, ISBN 9789732720547
  • Textbook of hepato-bilio-pancreatic surgery and liver transplantation, Irinel Popescu (Editor), Romanian Academy Publishing House 2016, ISBN 9789732725924
  • Textbook of Surgery - (10 volumes), Irinel Popescu (Editor) - Publishing House of the Romanian Academy 2007 - 2009,
  • Textbook of Surgery 2nd edition (12 volumes), Irinel Popescu, Constantin Ciuce (Editors), Romanian Academy Publishing House, 2011–2013

International Textbooks
  • The IASGO Textbook of multidisciplinary management of hepato-pancreato-biliary diseases, Masatoshi Makuuchi, Norihiro Kokudo, Irinel Popescu, Jaques Belghiti, Ho-Song Han, Kyoichi Takaori, Dan G. Duda (Editors), Springer Nature, 2022.

International monographs
  • The Flying Publisher Guide to Hepatitis C Treatment, Costin Cernescu, Simona Ruta, Liana Gheorghe, Speranţa Iacob, Irinel Popescu, Richard Sebastian Wanless, Edition 2011, Flying Publisher & Kamps. ISBN 978-3-942687-04-1.

Chapters in international treaties
  • Central pancreatectomy in Atlas of Advanced Operative Surgery, Popescu I - Ch. 31. (Khatri V. et al. eds.) Elsevier Science, 2012.
  • Appleby procedure. Atlas of Advanced Operative Surgery, Popescu I - Ch. 32. (Khatri V et al. eds.) Elsevier Science, 2012.

Handbooks
  • Surgical pathology for residents. 1st Edition, Angelescu N, Dragomirescu C, Popescu I., Celsius Publishing House 1998, ISBN 973-0-00358-0; vol I - 505 pages, vol II - 525 p. 2nd Edition: Celsius Publishing House 2003, ISBN 973-39-0444-9/5, pag: 1848 - 1869; 1881 - 1898.
  • Handbook of Surgery. "Carol Davila" University Publishing House, Popescu I, Beuran M., Bucharest, 2007. ISBN 978-973-708-218-3/ISBN 978-973-708-217-6; volumes I and II

Monographs
  • Recto-colonic polyps and polyposis, D. Setlacec, Al. Oproiu, I. Popescu, Medical Publishing House, Bucharest, 1986
  • Tumors of the small intestine, I. Popescu, Maria Șerbănescu, Medical Publishing House, Bucharest, 1986
  • Pancreatic and peripancreatic suppurations, I. Popescu, S. Georgescu, Maher Al-Attas, Medical Publishing House, Bucharest, 1990
  • Peritonites, Irinel Popescu, Catalin Vasilescu (under the editorship), Celsius Publishing House, Bucharest, 1998
  • Minimally invasive surgery - advanced techniques, C. Dragomirescu, I. Popescu (under the editorship) (on CD-Rom), Celsius Publishing House, Bucharest, 2000, "Iuliu Hațieganu" prize of the Romanian Academy.
  • Files from the history of Romanian medicine, Victor Voicu, Irinel Popescu (coordinators), vol. 29 and vol. 30 of the "Romanian Civilization" series, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020.
  • The Covid-19 pandemic in Romania: clinical and epidemiological matters, Victor Voicu, Costin Cernescu, Irinel Popescu, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020.
  • The Covid-19 pandemic in Romania: pathogenic, clinical and pharmacotherapeutic matters, Victor Voicu, Irinel Popescu, Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2021.
  • Eminescu's disease and the imaginary diseases of eminescuologists, Eugen Simion, Irinel Popescu, Ioan - Aurel Pop, et alt., FNSA Publishing House, Bucharest, 2021.
  • The life and work of Professor Dan Setlacec, Irinel Popescu, Romanian Academy Publishing House - Rao Publishing House, Bucharest, 2021.

Organizer of scientific events
  • President – 17th World Congress of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists, Bucharest, 2007
  • President of the National Surgery Congress (Constanța–Eforie Nord, 2008)
  • President – 23rd World Congress of the International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists, Bucharest, 2013
  • President of the FEAM Conference (European Federation of Academies of Medicine) Spring Conference, Bucharest, May 12–13, 2014
  • President of the SEERS Congress (South East European Robotic Surgery Society) (Bucharest, October 28–31, 2015)
  • Local organizer of the Congress of the Association of European Surgeons, Bucharest, 2017
  • Others: Creator of the serial "Academy of Health" (Academia de Sănătate) for the news agency DC News and the television channel Medika TV (since 2017)

Titles
  • Honorary member of the National Chapter for Serbia and Montenegro of IHBA (International Hepato-Pancreatic-Biliary Association), 2005
  • Honorary member of the Bulgarian Society of Surgery, 2006
  • Honorary Member of the Serbian Medical Association, Surgery Section, 2006
  • Honorary Member of Chinese Surgical Society, 2007
  • Honorary member of the Association of Surgeons from the Republic of Moldova, 2007
  • Honorary member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, 2007
  • Honorary member of the Hungarian Surgical Society, 2008
  • Honorary member of the French Surgical Association, 2008

Awards and honors
  • Iuliu Hațieganu Award of the Romanian Academy (2000)
  • Award of the Romanian College of Physicians (2001) for achievements in surgery
  • "The best surgeon 2006" as a result of the sociological research undertaken by CURS, TNS-CSOP, IMAS and INSOMAR and highlighting the opinion of Romanian surgeons at "Zece pentru România" Gala ("Ten for Romania" Gala)
  • Medic.ro magazine prize (awarded by the Ministry of Health, the College of Physicians and the National Health Insurance House) for the best surgeon (2018)
  • Grand Prize of the Medical Elites Gala (for excellence in medicine), Baia Mare, 2021

Societies and scientific journals
  • Member of the European Society of Transplantation, since 2006
  • Member of the Romanian Society of Surgery (President 2006–2008)
  • Founding member of "Romtransplant" (President (1997–2018)
  • Founding member of ARCE (Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery and other interventional techniques) (President 2002–2006)
  • Founding member of ARCHBPTH (Romanian Association of Hepato-bilio-pancreatic surgery and liver transplantation) (President 2006–2018)
  • Member of the Executive Committee of the "International Association of Surgeons and Gastroenterologists" (IASGO), since 2002 (Vice-President since 2017)
  • Member of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (EAES), since 2002
  • Member of TTS (The Transplantation Society), since 2006
  • Member of ESA (European Surgical Association), since 2007 (President in 2008)
  • Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, 2005
  • Member of the French Academy of Surgery (2003)
  • Member of the French Academy of Medicine (2013)
  • Member of the European Board of Surgery in Transplantation Surgery module 1, 4 (2009)
  • Member of the European Board of Surgery in Hepatic Pancreatic-Biliary Surgery (2013)
  • Full member of the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences – 2002 (President 2011–2019)
  • Vice-President of the European Federation of Medical Academies (FEAM) (2014–2017)
  • Full member of the Romanian Academy of Scientists (2002) (President of the Medical Sciences Section 2002–2012)
  • Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, Medical Sciences Section (2013)
  • Member of the editorial board of the "Hepatogastroenterology"
  • Deputy chief editor of the magazine "Archives de l'Union Médicale Balkanique" ("Archives of the Balkan Medical Union")
  • Member of the editorial board of "Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery”
  • Editorial board member of Journal of Telemedicine and E-Health
  • Vice Editor-in-Chief of  "Surgery, Gastroenterology and Oncology" (2020–present)
  • Chief editor of the "Chirurgia "( Romanian Journal of Surgery)  (2004–2014)

Invited Speaker
  • Karolinska Institute in Stockholm (2010): Posterior approach in pancreatic surgery
  • Grand Rounds AKH Vienna, "The surgical treatment of the metastatic colo-rectal cancer" (2015)
  • Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf- "Central pancreatectomy" (2015)
  • Weekly Surgical and Gastroenterological Grand Rounds- Borel-Staehelin-Lecture "How to increase the number of donors in a liver transplant program" - University of Zürich (2014)

Keynote Speaker
  • European Congress of Coloproctology: British Journal of Surgery lecture - "Metastatic CRC - what about the primary?" Vienna (2012)

Doctor Honoris Causa

Medals

Interviews
  • Irinel Popescu: A scalpel virtuoso Archived December 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine, June 2, 2004, Rodica Nicolae, Careers Online
  • Irinel Popescu: "To get rid of the bribe obsession, you go to the private sector", October 15, 2009, George Rădulescu, Adevărul
  • All the adventures of surgeon Irinel Popescu in the surgery room, February 23, 2013, Laurențiu Ungureanu, Adevărul
  • Dr. Irinel Popescu - "All victories warm my soul", Ines Hristea, Formula AS - 2013, number 1091
  • Exclusive interview with Prof. Univ. Dr. Irinel Popescu, creator of the liver transplantation program in Romania. Why donors are lost. "It's not a problem of staff, but of mentalities", February 24, 2023, Cristian Botez, Impact.ro

Bibliography
  1. Dora Petrila, "Conversations with surgeon Irinel Popescu", Humanitas Publishing House, Bucharest, 2003
  2. http://www.irinel-popescu.ro Archived April 21, 2017, at the Wayback Machine.
  3. https://www.romtransplant.ro/en/history-of-transplant/ Archived November 26, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. Otovescu Dumitru - Irinel Popescu or the triumph of liver transplantation in Romania, Beladi Publishing House, Craiova, 2014
  5. Victor Tomulescu, Catalin Copaescu: "Robotic surgery in Romania" in Victor Voicu, Irinel Popescu (coordinators): "Files from the history of Romanian medicine", Romanian Academy Publishing House, Bucharest, 2020
  6. How many glasses of wine can we drink per day. Professor Irinel Popescu: "I went to a clinic in Germany and there I spoke with a doctor who had a broader and open view of medicine"
  7. The surgeon is no longer alone - dialogue with Prof. Dr. Irinel POPESCU
  8. Food that is good to eat daily. Prof. Dr. Irinel Popescu: "Other than that, we have to vary!"
  9. https://www.utm.ro/facultatea-de-medicina/cadre-didactice/
  10. University Prof. dr. Irinel Popescu – the father of liver transplantation in Romania, will receive the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of UMF Iasi
  11. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Irinel-Popescu-2
  12. From 2015, the Center of Excellence in Translational Medicine will operate in Fundeni
  13. Exclusive - Prof. Dr. Irinel Popescu, "the father of liver transplantation", revelations about his remarkable career
  14. http://transplant.ro/consiliu/
  15. https://www.utm.ro/cercetare-stiintifica/institutul-de-cercetari-stiintifice-medicale-nicolae-cajal/personal-de-cercetare/
  16. https://iasgo.org/index.php/component/content/article/8-general-articles/69-pancreatic-cancer
  17. Impact of Sustained Virological Response on Metabolic Profile and Kidney Function in Cured HCV Liver Transplant Recipients
  18. Parenchyma Sparing ALPPS - A New Technical Variant. Case Presentation (with video)
  19. https://www.utm.ro/en/irinel-popescu/

References
  1. "President Traian Băsescu decorates doctor Irinel Popescu". HotNews. 2013-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. Petrilă, Dora (2003). "Convorbiri cu chirurgul Irinel Popescu". București: Editura Humanitas.
  3. "Irinel Popescu, a Scalpel Virtuoso". Revista Cariere. 2004-06-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "History of Transplant". www.romtransplant.ro. Centrul de Chirurgie Generală și Transplant Hepatic "Dan Setlacec". April 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Otovescu, Dumitru (2014). Irinel Popescu or the triumph of liver transplantation in Romania. Craiova: Beladi Publishing House.
  6. Popescu, Irinel. "Irinel Popescu". Irinel Popescu.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. "Profile - Irinel Popescu". ResearchGate. Retrieved April 21, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "Univesitatea Titu Maiorescu, Facultatea de Medicină, Cadre didactice". www.utm.ro. Titu Maiorescu University. Retrieved April 21, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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