The Department of Pediatric Surgery was founded at Belarusian State Institute for Advanced Medical Training in 1964 under the supervision of professor Sergey Libov. The department was situated at 5th Minsk Clinical Hospital. In 1966, after a complicated surgery with a long period of rehabilitation, Sergey Libov had to finish his career as head of the department and moved to Leningrad.
From 1966 to 1988, the Department of Pediatric Surgery of Belarusian State Institute for advanced Medical Training was headed by professor Oleg Misharev. From 1969 to 1988, he worked on a part-time basis there, because he also headed Department of Pediatric Surgery at Minsk State Medical University. In 1970, the department got a new base – Center for Pediatric Surgery at the 1st Minsk Clinical Hospital.
Professor Oleg Misharev paid a special attention to the development and improvement of the surgical medical care rendered to children, especially newborns with heart congenital malformations and digestive tract malformations, to patients with peritonitis, acute hematogenous osteomyelitis and suppurative-septic diseases. A special attention was given to the issues of postoperative preparations of patients and further intensive therapy. It was Oleg Misharev who initiated the opening of the first Pediatric Division of Intensive Therapy and Resuscitation in Belarus, which was situated at the Center for Pediatric Surgery. In 1975, under his initiative, there had been founded a special laboratory dealing with the study of homeostasis in children with suppurative-septic diseases. The department carried out a huge scientific work, as evidenced by a large number of scientific publications and defended theses.
At the beginning, the following physicians worked at the department: professor L.E. Kotovich, associate professors Ch.V. Pristupa, V.D. Lapitsky, V.K. Zubovich. Afterwards, the following specialists started to work at the department: associate professors V.A. Ovcharenko, A.V. Dardynski, assistants G.I. Zakrevsky and V.M. Khomitch.
In 1975, at the Department of Pediatric Surgery of Belarusian Institute for Advanced Medical Training there had been organized a course on Pediatric Anesthesiology and Resuscitation. The first lecturers of the course were associate professor V.K. Zubovich and assistant V.V. Kurek. Due to a huge interest to the issues of pediatric anesthesiology and resuscitation, the staff of the course was extended. The following physicians started to work at the department: associate professor A.P. Vasiltseva, assistants I.N. Savateev, V.I. Zelyak, A.G. Torkachev, V.S. Ten. In 1989, on the base of the course there had been created the department which was headed by associate professor V.V. Kurek.
In 1988–1993, the Department of Pediatric Surgery of Belarusian Institute for Advanced Medical Training was headed by professor Leonid Kotovich, who was interested in the issues of thoracic and ulcer surgery in children.
In 1993, the Department of Pediatric Surgery was reorganized into the course, which became part of the Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Surgery (head of the department – Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor V.V.Kurek). Heads of the course of pediatric surgery at different times were associate professor V.A. Ovcharenko, associate professor M.N. Korneliuk; V.V.Troyan and E.M.Kolesnikov worked as assistants, K.V. Drozdovsky worked as a laboratory assistant. In 2004, specialists of the department started to work at the Department of Emergency Surgery of BelMAPE (head of the department – Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor N.V. Zavada).
On the 9th of March, 2006, by the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus, there had been created the Department of Pediatric Surgery of BelMAPE (head of the department – Doctor of Medical Sciences, associate professor V.V.Troyan).
Specialists of the department carry out a huge clinical and advisory work, surgical interventions of the most complicated patients, including those with malformations of thoracic and abdominal cavities, anorectal area malformations, malformations of heart and magistral vessels. Staff of the department consults patients at different divisions of Minsk Pediatric Surgical Center and Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital.
Specialists of the pediatric surgery course of BelMAPE took an active part in foundation of Minsk Pediatric Cardiosurgery Center, afterwards some of them started to work there. Also, they continually organized the arrival of a group of American cardiosurgeons headed by professor V. Novak, with whom the American side has been collaborating until the present.
Specialists of the department took an active part in the organization of the republican conferences and seminars on actual issues of pediatric surgery (Grodno, 2001, Mogilev, 2005 etc.). Continually, they took part and made reports at the meetings of cardiosurgeons in Belarus, CIS countries and at international meetings of pediatric surgeons (Hamburg, 1993, Berlin 1993, Belostok 1999, 2005, Gdansk 2000, Riga 2000, 2006, Kaunas 2002, Vrotslav 2003, Tartu 2004, Lodz 2006).
Specialists of the department have worked out «Unified postgraduate training program for pediatric surgeons». They are authors and co-authors of 4 monographs and 2 handbooks, 10 methodological recommendations and guidance manuals. Totally, more than 300 scientific works were published, more than 15 inventor's certificates have been received. For the whole period of the department’s and course functioning, 3 Doctoral (O.S. Misharev 1966, L.E. Kotovich 1976, V.V.Troyan 2004) and more than 20 Candidate’s theses have been defended.
Staff of the department has been constantly improving academic and pedagogical process and qualified surgical care rendered to children. They are actively developing issues of modern diagnostics and high-technology treatment of surgical diseases in children. Many specialists of the department have undergone training abroad (Russia, USA, and Germany).
Main directions of work of the department
At present, the main directions of work of the specialists working at the department are connected with practically all issues of pediatric surgery, but first and utmost are the following ones:
- Gullet surgery in children;
- Surgery of malformations in newborns;
- Diseases and congenital abnormalities of anorectal area;
- Minimally invasive (endoscopic) surgery at the pathology of abdominal and chest cavity in children;
- Correction of heart congenital malformations in children.
Advanced training courses:
- Pediatric surgery (a retraining course, full-time mode of training);
- Emergency thoracoabdominal surgery in children (for surgeons, pediatric surgeons);
- Surgery of thoracic organs in children (for pediatric surgeons, thoracic surgeons, cardiosurgeons, pulmonologists);
- Special methods of diagnostics (roentgenologic, ultrasound, endoscopic) in pediatric surgery (for pediatricians, roentgenologists, functional diagnostics specialists, endoscopists, surgeons, pediatric surgeons, ultrasonic medical investigation specialists, general practitioners);
- Surgery of newborns – diagnostics and treatment (for pediatric surgeons, pediatricians-neonatologists, pediatricians);
- Diagnostics of acute surgical diseases in children (for pediatricians, emergency medical care specialists, general practitioners);
- Congenital heart malformations in children, clinics. Diagnostics, treatment. (for cardiosurgeons, cardiologists, functional diagnostics specialists, perfusionists, pediatricians, general practitioners);
- Laparoscopic surgery in children (for surgeons, pediatric surgeons, endoscopists);
Specialists of the department have got more than 15 author certificates and 4 patents for inventions in the field of medicine.