The Department of Gastroenterology and Nutritiology of Belarusian Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education was founded in 1980. Until 1999, the clinical base of the department had been Gastroenterology Unit of Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital; since 200 – Minsk Clinical Hospital №2, since 2012 – Minsk Clinical Hospital № 10.
Practically, in the Republic of Belarus it was the only unique educational unit, which was considered to be a leading one in the training of physicians in gastroenterology and nutritiology.
The main area of the research activities at the department is study of mechanisms of formation, development and progressing of chronic diseases of digestive system with the focus on clinical and pathophysiological peculiarities, which help to provide the development of standardized approaches in the strategy of medical care aimed at the development of its quality.
From 1980 to 2000, the department had been headed by professor I.N. Bronovets. The main issue of his scientific activities was determination of peculiarities of functional condition of cardiovascular system in patients suffered from chronic diseases of biliary tracts and liver.
Since 2000 until the present, Y.H. Marakhovsky, Doctor of Medical Sciences, has been in charge of the department. His Doctoral thesis revealed the issue of identification of regularities of gallstone formation and formations of chronic cholecystitis which helped to formulate vesicular-lypoperoxide hypothesis of gallstone formation and offer optimized variants of early diagnostics of this disease. Y.H.Marakhovsky published more than 250 works, among them there are 6 monographs, 35 articles are in republican editions, 28 - in international editions.
From the time of its foundation and until 1999, staff of the department was represented by the following specialists: M.N.Sakovich, associate professor, assistants V.N.Khomich, G.A.Karaseva, D.N.Ulasevich, senior laboratory assistants A.V.Yaroshevich and V.V.Ermak.
The staff of the department has been gradually expanded by new-comers - specialists of the department who have recently carried out theses and successfully defend them. Thus, G.A.Karaseva, assistant of the department, defended Candidate’s thesis in 1994 on the topic «Evaluation of immune system indicators of lypoperoxide homeostasis and their correction in patients with ulcer disease» and in 2000, she started to work as an associate professor of the department. In 1999, D.N. Ulasevich defended Candidate’s thesis on the topic «Indicators of lipid metabolism in patients who suffer from chronic cholecystitis and their changes at treatment» and became assistant of the department.
Since 2000, two assistants, - Y.S.Kravchenko and Y.V.Gorgun, started to work at the department. The topics of their theses were the following ones: « Clinicodiagnostic aspects of Zhylber syndrome» and «Computer – tomography characteristics and insuliproducing function of pancreatic gland».
The department has its own devices for computer intragastric pH measurement, which helps to evaluate genetic polymorphism of metabolism of proton pump inhibitors.
A significant component in improvement of educational process is the information support of the department trough data base on gastrointestinal pathology, computer programs “TELEGASTRO”, “GIVEN”, “DATAGATE”, works of 17 European gastroenterology weeks, 10th, 11th and 12th World Gastroenterology Congresses, video materials on gastrointestinal endoscopy with the durations of 27 hours, constant access to Internet since 1999.
The department has its own modern examination technologies, technologies of treatment and standardized evaluation of clinical manifestations of diseases, for example, sonographic research of stomach motor function, sonographic evaluation of column condition, record of standardized evaluation of severity of inflammatory bowel diseases and postosystem encephalopathy, standardized evaluation of bowels inflammatory diseases on the basis of program complex «Expert and diagnostic complex of evaluation of liver chronic virus diseases (development of the department).
Until 1998, the main scientific activities of the department focused on the following: clinical biochemical evaluation of chronic cholecystitis and clinical peculiarities of hypolactasia in Belarus, evaluation of the effectiveness of calorie-restriction diet therapy at gastroenterological pathology.
Since 1999, the main scientific fields of the department were the following ones:
- Creation of import-replacement equipment for functional diagnostics in gastroenterology.
Thus, in 2000 the department completed the development and creation of the microprocessor computer device for intragastric рН-metry (acidogastrometer – ACM-01) and the same year, the department started to work out national tube primary transformers for рН-metry. In 2001, the department started to work out scientific and practical program on intaluminal tonometry (Topic «ТОН» approved by the State Committee of Science and Technology of Belarus).
- Creation of national gastroenterology drugs.
In 1999, the department finished creation of national antiacid drug GEFAL, industrial production of which was started in 2000 by JSC «Belmedpreparaty», the drug has a Certificate of Registration in the Russian Federation. In 2010, the drug occupied about 85% of the Republican market among the drugs of this group.
- Pathophysiological and clinical basics of standardization and optimization of gastroenterology diseases.
On the basis of existing internationally-accented standards of medical specialized gastroenterology care, there have been worked out standardized technologies of evaluation of severity of bowels inflammatory diseases, optimized for practical healthcare of the Republic of Belarus, of malabsorption syndrome, liver cirrhosis, functional dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, which are being implemented into practical work of basic establishments of the department.
- Value of food intolerance in the development of multisystemic pathology.
Scientific performance on the international level is represented by participation of the staff in the most important international seminars, symposia and conferences. Thus, in 1997 staff of the department made their speech at international symposium on bowels inflammatory diseases ( Basel and Warsaw), in 1998 - at international congress on gastroenterology, coloproctology and hepathology (Vienna), in 1999 – at the 7th European Gastroenterology Week (Rome), in 2000 – at Russian Gastroenterology Week (Moscow), in 2001 – at the 9th European Gastroenterology Week (Amsterdam) and Russian Gastroenterology Week (Moscow). Reports made by staff of the department are noted for their high scientific level.
Advanced training courses are carried out on the following topics:
- Diagnostics and treatment of gastroenterology diseases at the 10th Minsk Clinical Hospital;
- Diagnostics and treatment of acid-related diseases (gastroduadenal ulcers, dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux, chronic gastritis) of digestive organs;
- Clinical pathophysiological standardization of medical care at digestive system diseases;
- General therapy hepatology;
- General therapy coloproctology;
- General therapy enterology;
- Clinical gastroenterology: basics of therapeutic management of gastroenterological diseases;
- General therapeutic biliopancreotology;
- Gastroenterological aspects of sonography: clinical-sonographic differentiated diagnostics of gastrointestinal pathology;
- Gastroenterological aspects of diagnostic endoscopy of alimentary tract:
- clinical-endoscopy parallels in differentiated diagnostics and standardization of medical care at gastrointestinal pathology;
- Functional diseases of digestive organs;
- General clinical nutritiology;
- General clinical nutritiology for the teaching staff;
- General clinical dietology;
- Gastroenterological pathology in clinic of internal diseases.
Academic work
The main form of training is two-week advanced training courses. One significant peculiarity of the department is carrying out one-week off-site advanced training courses. In 2011 – 1 off-site advanced training course, in 2012 -2, in 2013 – 2, in 2014 -2, in 2015 – 3, totally -10 for the whole period.
In accordance with the approved programs, target groups of the trainees are the following ones: general practitioners, general practice doctors, gastroenterologists, infectionists, recreation therapists. Group formation is carried out upon the requests from healthcare establishments.
Clinical and advisory activities
The teaching staff of the department carries out advisory work at the clinical bases (Minsk Clinical Hospital №10 and Minsk Regional Clinical Hospital), Professor’s Medical Advisory Center, Minsk Republican Scientific and Practical Center, and Republican Center for Emergency Medical Care, gives reports at seminars and conferences.
With the assistance of the department, in 2014, Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Belarus created the Republican Center of Gastroenterology.
The Republican Center of Gastroenterology carries out the following:
- Republican consultations,
- Management of patients with rare and genetic diseases of digestive organs (in accordance with the list approved by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus),
- Creation of data base of patients with rare and genetic diseases of digestive organs;
- Functional research methods;
In-patient examination and treatment of patients in accordance with established evidences;
Role of the department in the work of the Republican Center for Gastroenterology:
Head of the center is specialist of the department (Y.V. Gorgun);
The department prepared a specialist-gastroenterologist for republican visits,
The department carries out consultations (everyday consultations) and if it is possible organizes a visit (with the presence of clinical residents);
The department has implemented functional research methods on the basis of the analysis of expiratory air at the consultation and diagnostic room of the Republican Center of Gastroenterology;
The department carries out a huge amount of organizational and methodological and consulting work.
Staff of the department are experts/members of the following commissions of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus:
Scientific and research work
Staff of the department successfully carries out a number of tasks of scientific works, financed from the budget. 9 tasks have been completed.
Since 2014 the department successfully carries out the scientific work «Development of variants of rational pharmacotherapy of the main social and demographically important diseases of digestive organs in adults» (State registration: № 20130896 of 11.06.2013), the financing of which is carried out on budget basis.
The results of the researches are implemented into practice. Thus, two drugs, worked out by the department are successfully produced and disposed, - Gepavil and Gepavilag. The developed drugs (Gepavil and Gepavilag) are actively used in the Republic.
Staff of the department has taken part in world congress on gastroenterology (Pyongyang), four European congresses of gastroenterology (Prague, Amsterdam, Vienna, Barcelona), in four international seminars, 59 republican seminars, 29 of them were organized by the department.
