{"id":6432,"date":"2025-11-12T21:44:41","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:44:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/?p=6432"},"modified":"2025-11-12T21:44:42","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T20:44:42","slug":"hearing-is-a-window-to-the-worldhear-better-live-more-fully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/hearing-is-a-window-to-the-worldhear-better-live-more-fully\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing is a window to the world
Hear better, live more fully"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

An interview with Prof.\u00a0Krzysztof\u00a0Morawski, MD, PhD, a\u00a0renowned otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, audiologist, and phoniatrist in Poland and internationally. In 2000, he received a\u00a0Fulbright scholarship. He\u00a0is an\u00a0outstanding physician, but also a\u00a0scientist and educator. He promotes hearing aids and\u00a0implants that improve the quality of\u00a0life. He has just been awarded the title of\u00a0Leader by Vocation<\/em>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do you consider yourself a\u00a0leader?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I never aspired to be a leader. For me, it stemmed from natural situations that arose naturally in school and college. Back then, people gathered around me, and I simply did my job, worked, took responsibility, and didn\u2019t let up. I think it\u2019s a matter of character and the role model I learned at home \u2013 my mother was extremely hardworking. I inherited this hard work from her. I don\u2019t create artificial hierarchies; I don\u2019t need \u201cfollowers.\u201d I prefer authority built through competence, reliability, and consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sports and music have been a\u00a0part of your story from the beginning. What did they shape in you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve loved sports since childhood. I practiced track and field. In college, I won the Medical University\u2019s high jump championship. It teaches humility, consistency, and the ability to endure defeat. Music was also a part of my life\u2014I attended music school. Music, in turn, develops sensitivity, ear for music, and discipline. These two worlds complement each other greatly. Today, I see how sports and music have influenced my work style: precision, rhythm, consistency\u2014and simultaneously curiosity and openness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re from Cz\u0119stochowa and studied in \u0141\u00f3d\u017a. What were your early career like?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I graduated from high school in Cz\u0119stochowa, then studied medicine in \u0141\u00f3d\u017a. My first job was at the provincial hospital in Piotrk\u00f3w Trybunalski\u2014the hometown of my wife, an ophthalmologist. This stage gave me a solid clinical foundation. When I moved to Silesia, a serious adventure with science and specialization began. It was a time of intense work and learning about responsibility for decisions, the team, and the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Mariola \u015aliwi\u0144ska-Kowalska, a\u00a0renowned otolaryngologist, appeared along the way. What did you learn from this master-disciple relationship?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A lot. The professor once told me a sentence that became my principle: \u201cDon\u2019t bang your head against a wall. You have to go around the wall.\u201d I also repeat this to young people: \u201cIf something doesn\u2019t work, go around the obstacle, look for an alternative, wait. You lose time and motivation when you hit a wall.\u201d This way of thinking changed my approach to my career and education. Instead of being frustrated by difficulties, I sought new paths. When complications arose with continuing my specialization, I completed my doctorate and moved in a direction where I could truly discover and contribute something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You devoted your doctorate to audiology and the study of musicians \u2013 including absolute pitch. Why this choice?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the 1990s, new techniques were emerging \u2013 including objective studies of the cochlear\u2019s receptor response. I collaborated on this with Professor Rakowski from Warsaw, whose articles were cited worldwide, especially in Japan. Thanks to him, I had access to advanced, objective tests. We tested 50 musicians. The results were fascinating: some people convinced they had absolute pitch didn\u2019t show it in the tests; others \u2013 on the contrary \u2013 had a predisposition, though they didn\u2019t claim it. This is an important lesson: a \u201cgood ear\u201d is an innate ability to recognize pitch and repeat it. The musical sense also encompasses timbre, harmony, and the relationships between frequencies \u2013 talent must then be consistently cultivated. This research resulted in a publication, which I am still referred to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After your doctorate \u2013 Zabrze and the Silesian Medical University under Professor Namys\u0142owski. What did this stage teach you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

It was a time of strong clinical and team training. Eleven years of work in Silesia solidified my skills and prepared me for the next step \u2013 a scholarship in the US. In Zabrze, I learned how to combine clinical work, teaching, and research so that one reinforced the other.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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I would like hearing aids to be treated as naturally as glasses \u2013 says Prof.\u00a0Krzysztof\u00a0Morawski<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The year 2000 brought you a\u00a0Fulbright scholarship to Miami. How big a\u00a0difference was that?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

A huge one \u2013 technologically and organizationally, there was a huge gulf between us. I spent 13 months at the Otolaryngology Clinic at the University of Miami. I worked in intraoperative audiology, including animal models \u2013 a \u201cleapfrog\u201d towards modern methods of real-time hearing assessment. Later, I returned for three-month grants until 2005. We co-developed research with teams from the US and Poland, resulting in publications, patents, and new solutions. This experience opened many doors for me, but above all, it broadened my horizons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After returning \u2013 Warsaw, your habilitation and professorship. Why the capital?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Warsaw offered greater opportunities: the clinic on Banacha Street with Professor Niemczyk, access to projects, international collaboration, and facilities for implementing new technologies. In 2009, I completed my habilitation, and in 2015, my professorial appointment was signed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, you head the Otolaryngology Clinic at the University Clinical Hospital in Opole. What have you built there?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Since 2021, we have been developing a modern clinic in Opole with a pediatric ward and a full cochlear implant program, which I co-founded. We have patients of all ages \u2013 from infants to seniors. In a child with congenital deafness, implantation is possible as early as around six months of age. It\u2019s amazing how quickly the brain learns to respond to auditory stimuli if intervention is made early and diagnostics and rehabilitation are well planned. On the other hand, we don\u2019t hesitate to operate on people in their 70s and 80s, because it significantly improves quality of life, stimulates activity, reduces isolation, and supports cognitive function.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
In medicine, the\u00a0goal isn\u2019t a race, but continuous development of\u00a0competences and\u00a0responsible decisions.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What does modern hearing implant technology look like?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Today\u2019s implants are high-end devices. Computer-programmed, monitored via phone, with extensive memory settings, and designed to work with artificial intelligence. The average lifespan of the system is approximately 20 years, with proper use and monitoring. However, the key is the entire process\u2014proper qualification, extensive diagnostics, perfectly planned surgery, and, equally important, auditory rehabilitation after implantation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You also have a\u00a0strong social mission\u2014to \u201cdemystify\u201d hearing aids and implants. Where did the idea for this fashion show come from?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I would like hearing aids to be treated as naturally as glasses. I dream of a fashion show where children and adults with hearing aids or sound processors walk the runway proudly. It would send a beautiful message: \u201cI hear better, I live more fully\u2014this is my strength, not something to be ashamed of.\u201d Such a gesture breaks barriers, changes the narrative, and can help you take the first step toward help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to care for your hearing\u2014from fetal life to late adulthood?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We start with the mother. Avoiding noise, adopting a healthy lifestyle. After birth, newborn hearing screening is performed, and if the results raise doubts, a full objective diagnosis, preferably while the child is asleep. Then, daily care: limiting and treating infections appropriately, avoiding exposure to smoke, and caution with ototoxic medications. Noise is the biggest enemy for young people. Loud discos, headphones on full blast, and chronic stimulation. For adults and seniors, it\u2019s crucial not to delay fitting hearing aids if hearing loss develops. They must be of good quality, because the brain needs sound stimulation. And if hearing aids aren\u2019t sufficient, an assessment of eligibility for an implant is necessary. Today\u2019s health awareness is growing, and that\u2019s encouraging, because hearing isn\u2019t an \u201cadd-on\u201d\u2014it\u2019s about the quality of relationships, work, and safety.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Maturity means acting wisely, not stubbornly; what matters is\u00a0the\u00a0outcome for the\u00a0patient, the team, and the science \u2013 says professor<\/em> Morawski<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

What kind of leader are you to your team and young doctors?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

One who listens carefully first and only then sets expectations\u2014for themselves and others. In medicine, the goal isn\u2019t a race, but continuous development of competence and responsible decisions. I teach students and residents to think flexibly: if a given path isn\u2019t working, we analyze the causes, change the plan, and look for a more effective solution. Maturity means acting wisely, not stubbornly; what matters is the outcome for the patient, the team, and the science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do you recharge your batteries?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

I value peace, quiet, and long walks \u2013 by the sea and in the mountains. My wife and I often escape to the Baltic Sea. I also enjoy meeting friends, but moments of solitude are equally important to me. I have two sons. The older one is an laryngologist. It\u2019s a great joy when children choose the path they know from home, but on their own terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your plans?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re expanding the clinic in Opole; I\u00a0teach, conduct workshops, and travel extensively across Poland. The media and journalists are doing a\u00a0tremendous job here, because thanks to them, more and more people are learning that effective solutions to hearing problems exist: hearing aids, implants, and rehabilitation. I\u00a0would like even more patients to hear, literally and figuratively, \u201cyou don\u2019t have to live in silence.\u201d This is my personal mission. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katarzyna Raszka<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An interview with Prof.\u00a0Krzysztof\u00a0Morawski, MD, PhD, a\u00a0renowned otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon, audiologist, and phoniatrist in Poland and internationally. In 2000, he received a\u00a0Fulbright scholarship. He\u00a0is an\u00a0outstanding physician, but also a\u00a0scientist and educator. He promotes hearing aids and\u00a0implants that improve the quality of\u00a0life. He has just been awarded the title of\u00a0Leader by Vocation. Do you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1139],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6432"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6432"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6439,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6432\/revisions\/6439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/whystory.pl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}