Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 13 September (BelTA) – Organ transplantation experience of Belarusian surgeons is in demand all over the world, in particular, liver transplantation, BelTA learned from Oleg Rummo, Head of the National Science and Practice Center for Organ and Tissue Transplantation.

According to the source, the transplantation center has been open for six years and has been spreading the best practices all this time. Over 500 specialists from CIS and non-CIS states have already been made familiar with the center’s work. “Foreign specialists use Belarusian practices in many surgery and transplantation programs of their own. Our experience is particularly useful for Europe and the world as a whole because Belarus has been able to make a giant leap within a short period of time. Some other countries take 30 years to accomplish that. We are already on par with developed nations as far as the technologies we use are concerned,” said Oleg Rummo.

A master class for leading specialists from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and other countries was arranged in the National Science and Practice Center for Organ and Tissue Transplantation on 13 September. Top surgeons from the CIS states as well as medics from various parts of Belarus could watch in real time three most complicated liver surgeries. One of them — liver transplantation — can be described as a calling card of Belarusian surgeons. The surgeries were displayed on a big screen in the conference hall of the National Science and Practice Center for Organ and Tissue Transplantation. Participants of the master class were able to get intimately familiar with techniques of Belarusian surgeons, who were making comments during the surgeries.

The master class was arranged on the eve of the 23^rd international CIS congress of hepatology surgeons that will take place in Minsk on 14-16 September. Oleg Rummo noted that it is the first time Belarus will host such a prestigious congress. The fact owes a lot to what Belarusian surgeons have accomplished after the first liver transplantation in spring 2009. That surgery was a powerful incentive for advancing surgery technologies and a number of other areas, in which Belarus is now the CIS leader.

The 23^rd CIS congress of hepatology surgeons will be solemnly opened in the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater of Belarus this evening. The scientific part of the program will begin the next day. Over 250 surgeons will come to Minsk from abroad. Many of them will share their experience, too. The number includes specialists from Poland, Germany, and Italy among other countries.

Oleg Rummo added that Belarusian specialists have done 50 liver transplantations this year bringing the total number to 417. Over 100 hepatic resection surgeries are performed every year. Apart from that, a large number of pancreatic gland resection surgeries are performed in various parts of the country. “Such surgeries are rather common. We have learned how to do them well so that patients could live long lives, could work and raise kids,” explained the Head of the National Science and Practice Center for Organ and Tissue Transplantation.