Unknown Polish pioneers of peritoneal dialysis

Abstract

Peritoneal dialysis is one of the methods of renal replacement therapy. The first research using a patient's peritoneal membrane for this purpose appeared at the turn of the 19th to 20th century. Among the many scientists dealing with this field of medicine during that period were also Polish representatives: Prof. Marceli Landsberg, Prof. Henryk Gnoiński and Dr. Tadeusz Szenkier. In the 1920s, independent of their foreign colleagues, they carried out and published interesting experiments on animals in Polish and foreign magazines. They indicated the possibility of using the peritoneal membrane and also the intestines, in uremia treatment. After a long period in which the development of peritoneal dialysis was restrained by the rapidly expanding development of hemodialysis, one saw its resurgent development. And here again Polish scientists made their contribution: among others, Profs. Zbylut Twardowski and Zofia Wańkowicz contributed in a significant way and are still contributing to the development of peritoneal dialysis in the world and in Poland.