PISA. After the preview by Il Tirreno edizione di Pisa, confirmation has arrived: starting in September, Professor Ugo Boggi, full professor of general surgery at the University of Pisa and director of the General Surgery and Transplant operational unit of the Pisa University Hospital, will move to Rome, where he will take up service at the Catholic University , again as full professor of general surgery, carrying out clinical activity at the Policlinico Gemelli in Rome (a private hospital) with the same role as head surgeon he had in Pisa.
A choice born from the desire to face new challenges and opportunities in a different context from what has been his “home” since 1990. In particular, to develop robotic organ transplant surgery, of which he was a pioneer in the Pisa area, and to establish a reference center in Rome for research and clinical assistance in the field of pancreatic tumors, drawing from his experience which includes 2,400 removal surgeries in his career. But in the face of widespread fear that his departure will cause damage to Cisanello, Boggi clarifies that «it is not a total detachment» – since he will continue to collaborate with Aoup and Unipi through an agreement – and that in any case «the department remains in the hands of a very strong group».
Professor Boggi, what prompted you to embark on this new adventure?
«Certainly, changing home after 36 years is not easy. But I have always been attracted to challenges, and the project proposed to me captured my interest from the very first moment. Then there was a very long period of evaluations, also due to the fact that candidates from all over the world were considered for this position. Then the matter became concrete, but I want to emphasize that the relationship with Pisa will not end. The two universities and hospitals will collaborate on research projects and exchanges, and for the upcoming academic year, I will continue to teach and conduct exams in Pisa, and occasionally I will also be at the San Rossore clinic, where I will carry out activities as a doctor for Gemelli».
Have you already suggested your successor for the general surgery and transplant department?
«No. Even if many do, I don’t, it’s not within my power. Aoup will choose the candidate, and in any case, it will be fine, because they are all very good. What makes me feel at ease is that I am leaving a solid group, composed of highly skilled students who, unlike the competitive atmosphere that prevailed when I was young, work in great harmony. There are top professionals who, when they leave, create a void because they haven’t built a school. This doesn’t happen in my case, I say this with pride, without wanting to be presumptuous. And I am happy with this choice to accelerate the growth of my students. Furthermore, I have asked that what we have created over these years be preserved».
What will you do differently in Rome compared to your work in Pisa?
«The roles are the same. The only technical difference is that, compared to the last twenty years, I will return to dealing with liver transplants, with which I practically started in Pisa before dedicating myself more to the pancreas. In Rome, we will handle all abdominal organ transplants».
What are the main scientific directions you will be working on in the capital?
«I would say three. To create an important center, both clinically and for research, for pancreatic cancer, a very serious disease with increasing cases. The idea is also to secure funds and research projects, sharing them with Pisa by virtue of the agreement. Then, to continue developing minimally invasive transplantation with the aid of robotics. In 2010 in Pisa, we performed the world’s first robotic pancreas transplant; it seemed futuristic. Today, it is an increasingly consolidated reality. Finally, to return to using animals for organ transplantation in humans: said like that, it might sound frightening, but through genetic engineering, it will be possible to modify the characteristics of animal organs, particularly bovine, to make them compatible with humans. This would solve the problem of organ shortage. This is a sector that is destined to expand in Italy within a few years, and we will need to be ready».
How would you define these 36 years spent in Pisa?
«Beautiful. I grew up here and learned everything I know. I am and remain deeply fond of the city, so much so that, as I have already explained, it is not a farewell. It is rather a re-modulation of the relationship to explore new paths, just like when I started robotic transplants».
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