About us

Department of Surgery № 1 (until 2008 – Department of Hospital Surgery) Kharkiv National Medical University of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine was founded in 1877 during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878 to improve surgical care for the wounded who came from the battlefield, on the idea of a great surgeon and scientist Mykola Ivanovych Pirogov on the gradual teaching of basic medical disciplines (therapy, surgery, pediatrics) at the departments of propaedeutics of internal medicine and pediatrics and general surgery, in the clinics of faculty and hospital departments.
Having started teaching students of the medical faculty of Kharkiv University of Hospital Surgery under the guidance of the first head of the department, Professor I.K. Zarubin in adapted premises (in the barracks hospital of the Red Cross, which was located on the territory of the current garrison military hospital (Kultury Street) and in the solemn assembly hall of the university, where a surgical department with 30 beds was additionally organized). From 1878 the department for a long time (until 1974) had a clinical base in the city Alexandria Hospital in Kharkiv. During this time, the department was headed and worked on by outstanding scientists-surgeons who have made a significant contribution to the development of domestic and world surgery. These are: Professor M.S. Subbotin, whose name is associated with the development of a method of active aspiration in pleural empyema; Professor A.G. Podrez, who in 1897 for the first time in the world performed a successful surgery for a gunshot wound of the heart and who is considered the founder of urology in Kharkiv; Professor A.A. Chugaev, who wrote one of the first monographs on urgent surgery, a 2-volume manual “Urgent Surgical Care” (1927), republished for many years and was a table book for surgeons; Professor O.V. Melnikov, who can rightly be recognized as the founder of clinical oncology in Ukraine and whose monumental monographs “Gastric cancer” and “Precancerous diseases of the stomach” have not lost their relevance.
From 1970 for almost 30 years (until 1999) the department was headed by Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology, a full member of the International Academy of Ecology and Life Safety Volodymyr Terentiyovich Zaitsev, appointed director in 1974 Kharkiv Research Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, which became the new clinical base of the Department of Hospital Surgery. V.T. Zaitsev entered the history of surgery as the author of the motto “Every patient with peptic ulcer disease has its own operation”, his doctoral dissertation for the first time in our country proved the need for an individual approach to the choice of surgery in patients with peptic ulcer disease. Total V.T. Zaitsev published about 450 scientific papers, including 24 monographs, 3 textbooks and about 20 other teaching materials. He had 40 copyright certificates for inventions, 2 patents of Ukraine for inventions.
Under the leadership of Vladimir Terentiyovych, a large number of general practitioners, 84 surgeons (21 doctors and 63 candidates of medical sciences) were trained, not only for Kharkiv and the region, but also for the entire former Soviet Union, as well as for many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. America, a large number of domestic and foreign clinical residents have studied and improved their surgical skills.
V.T. Zaitsev took an active part in the creation and became the first head of the Research, Training and Production Association “Surgery”, organized in 1986 on the basis of the Kharkiv Research Institute of General and Urgent Surgery, Kharkiv City Clinical Hospital of Emergency Medicine and the Department of Hospital Surgery; medical, scientific and pedagogical work of these institutions.
Since 1977, the department has expanded due to the second clinical base of the department – surgical departments of the new city clinical hospital of ambulance and emergency medical care. Professor O.I. Meshchaninov, which brought the bed stock of the clinical bases of the department to 500 surgical beds, including specialized.
Since 2000, the department was headed by a student of Professor V.T. Zaitsev Valerii Volodymyrovych Boyko. His main position is the director of the State institution “Zaitsev V.T. Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine “.
V.V. Boyko is a Academician of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine (Professor of Medicine), Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Laureate of the State Prize of Ukraine, Laureate of the International Association of Discoveries, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine. Director of the State institution “Zaitsev V.T. Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine “.
On account of V.V. Boyko – about 2900 scientific works (143 – published abroad), of which 115 monographs on various surgical pathologies, including the monumental work “Quantum Biological Theory”, about 500 patents of Ukraine and copyright certificates for inventions; about 270 teaching materials for students and interns-surgeons, including 8 textbooks on surgery (1 of them – for English-speaking students) and 15 textbooks (including in English).
Currently, the department is located on two clinical bases – in the State institution “Zaitsev V.T. Institute of General and Urgent Surgery of National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine “ and in the Prof. O.I. Meshchaninov City Clinical Hospital of Ambulance and Emergency Medical Care of Kharkiv”at the following addresses: Kharkiv, Balakireva vjizd №1 and №3.

According to the educational schedule and plans, the department teaches the discipline “Surgery” to students of V and VI courses of medical faculties (both Ukrainian and foreign; and since 2001 – to foreign English-speaking students).
The initial three-year specialization of interns in surgery is carried out.
Since 2012, the department has been postgraduate training doctors (specialization, internship, thematic improving training) in six surgical specialties: surgery, thoracic surgery, vascular surgery, heart and main vessel surgery, endoscopy, ultrasound diagnostics.
From 2015–2016 academic year at the Department of Teaching “Surgery” is conducted on the principles of European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) in accordance with the updated “Typical program for the discipline “Surgery” (Kyiv, 2015): in V courses – for the course “Thoracic, cardiovascular, endocrine surgery”, in VI courses – for the course “Urgent surgery”.
Interns study full-time at the clinical bases of the department in accordance with the Standard curriculum and program of primary specialization (internship) of graduates of higher medical educational institutions of III-IV levels of accreditation in the specialty “Surgery” (Kyiv, 2005), among them undergraduates engaged in scientific work. Interns of related surgical profiles from the cycle “Burn Disease” also study at the department.
Due to the curriculum, groups of interns of the main specialty “Family Medicine” study at the cycle of surgery at the department.
During postgraduate education doctors improve their skills in cycles of specialization, internship, thematic improvement cycles according to the programs approved by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in each of these surgical specialties.
Every year the department trains 17-20 young professionals – doctorantura students, aspirants, magisters, clinical residents (including foreign), which work on dissertations and research papers, improve their professional skills in surgery, replenish theoretical knowledge and graduate students acquire pedagogical experience.
The staff of the department is constantly working to improve the teaching and methodological support of teaching the discipline “Surgery” for the students of V and VI courses, intern surgeons and postgraduate education.
In terms of teaching and methodological support for teaching the discipline “Surgery” to students, interns-surgeons and cadets at the department published more than 450 teaching materials, including 25 textbooks, 125 monographs, more than 250 guidelines for students (in including for independent extracurricular work) and recommendations for teachers.
Employees of the department created blocks of test tasks in the format “Step 2. General medical training” to control the current educational activities of V and VI courses students in practical classes, to conduct the first stage of final certification in the form of course exam in V year and Differential credit – in VI year .
Blocks of examination questions and examination tickets for the Course Exam in the 5th year in Ukrainian, Russian and English have been created.
This year, the blocks of test tasks were updated to control the current educational activities of VI year students in cycles of surgery on the topic of “Acute Abdominal Syndrome” in 3 languages (225 test tasks).
A textbook on surgery for English-speaking 5th year students has been published. (Emergency surgery. Textbook for the 6th year students of medicine / Authors: V.V. Boyko, V.M. Lisovyi, V.A. Kapustnyk, L.Y. Goncharenko, I.A. Taraban, I.A. Kryvoruchko, V.V. Makarov and others; Eds. Corresponding Member of NAMSU Doctor of Medicine, Professor V.V. Boyko, Correspondind Member of NAMSU Doctor of Medicine, Professor V.M. Lisovyi – Kh /. KNMU, 2019. – 494 p.)
“Course of lectures on clinical surgery. Part II. Key chronic surgical diseases that require surgical correction and are the cause of acute surgical pathology. Author: V.V. Boyko, V.M. Lisovyi, V.A. Kapustnyk, I.A. Kryvoruchko, L.I. Goncharenko, I.A. Taraban, V.V. Makarov et al.; Under the general editorship of Corresponding Member. NAMSU, MD, prof. V.V. Boyko, Corresponding Member NAMSU, MD, prof. V.M. Lisovyi, MD, prof. V.A. Kapustnyk. – 2 volumes – 810 p. Kharkiv, NTMT, 2020. (preparing for publication in a printing house).
In the 2018-2019 academic year, teachers of the department who conduct postgraduate training of interns-surgeons and pastgraduate coursants-doctors to improve their skills in cycles of specialization, technical training, internships in surgical disciplines, educational materials supplemented with illustrative material and new literature on surgical topics lectures and guidelines for practical classes. Electronic didactic materials were developed for conducting practical classes on the thematic plan for V and VI courses on the platform of distance education of KhNMU. Responsible for postgraduate education is Miroshnichenko D.O., Candidate of Medical Science, Assistant of Professor.
All methodical materials for students at the department are published in three languages – Ukrainian, Russian and English.
Every year work is carried out to improve the preparation of graduates for the Licensed Integrated Exam “Step 2” surgical profile – created blocks of test tasks in surgery from the site of the Testing Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in 3 languages, which are solved with error analysis surgery.
Computerization of education has been introduced at the department. The method of compiling the Differential credit in the VI year provides computer test control on urgent surgical topics for its qualitative assessment. Responsible for educational and methodical work is Shevchenko O.M., Candidate of Medical Science, Assistant of Professor.

The main direction of scientific work of the department is the study of various issues of urgent pathology of the digestive system (complications of peptic ulcer, acute appendicitis, acute pancreatitis, acute intestinal obstruction, peritonitis, etc.) and cardiovascular and thoracic topics. In recent years, more and more attention is paid to the development and implementation of minimally invasive surgical interventions for abdominal, thoracic, cardiovascular surgical pathologies.
The dissertations of doctoral students and graduate students of the department are devoted to topical issues of surgery, including modern minimally invasive surgical technologies.
MAIN SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENTS
The teaching staff of the department has made a significant contribution to the training of scientific, pedagogical and medical staff.
At present time under the leadership of the head of the department, corresponding member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, academician of ASHE of Ukraine, professor V.V. Boyko, the department has trained 40 doctors and 123 candidates of medical sciences (PhD), 160 clinical residents (among them – a significant number of foreign citizens).
The staff of the department carries out significant work on the development of new methods of diagnosis and treatment of surgical patients. The head of the department and teachers received more than 450 Patents of Ukraine for inventions and copyright certificates for inventions, introduced into practical medicine more than 200 industry innovations.
The scientific products of the teachers of the department, published in co-authorship with scientists of the Institute of General and Urgent Surgery, include 130 monographs, more than 4000 scientific articles, numerous reports at congresses, congresses, symposia, conferences (including international and abroad).
Since 2000, the staff of the department and the State Institution “ZAYTSEV V.T. IGUS NAMSU” publishes the scientific-practical journal “Kharkiv Surgical School”, the editor-in-chief of which is Academician V.V. Boyko.
The department has a permanent student scientific group, which involves students of II-VI courses of KhNMU, its fruitfulness is evidenced by numerous awards for reports at scientific forums of various levels (including international participation), compatible with teachers scientific publications, victories in olympiads in surgery. Responsible for educational and methodical work is Yevtuchenko D. O., Doctor of Medical Science, Professor.

SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION
Academician V.V. Boyko was elected a member of the European Association of Surgeons and the Association of Trauma Surgeons and Intensive Care Surgeons, the European Association of Oncologists and the European Association of Vascular Surgeons.
Teachers of the department together with scientists of the Institute of Surgery fruitfully cooperate with foreign educational and scientific institutions in the implementation of international scientific and educational programs, joint research.
There is a project of scientific cooperation in the field of pediatric cardiac surgery (surgical treatment of children with congenital heart disease) – “International Children’s Heart Foundation” (Canada, United States).
In 2013, agreements on cooperation in research and development and promotion of higher medical education were concluded and continue to operate with the Higher Medical School in Sosnowiec (Poland) and with the Jan Kamensky University in Bratislava (Slovakia).
Since 2015, cooperation has been established with the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Wroclaw Medical Academy (Poland) – internship, joint publication of monographs.

Employees of the department take an active part in all types of work of basic medical institutions of the department – in consultations and treatment of surgical patients, in the implementation of diagnostic and therapeutic manipulations and research, in the implementation of surgical interventions, scientific and practical conferences.
Professors and associate professors of the department are curators of emergency departments of clinical bases and consultants of urgent surgical teams at night.
For many years, the practical work and research of the department are associated with urgent surgery, with the improvement of surgical interventions for peptic ulcer disease (organ-saving surgeries), diseases of the pancreas (pancreatoduodenal resections), injuries of the spleen, lungs (organ-saving surgeries).
The surgeries for colon cancer, combined resections of gastric cancer, operations on the kidneys and bladder, tumors of the uterus and its appendages have been introduced on the clinical bases of the department are implemented and extended.
“Put on stream” complex operations for the correction of congenital heart defects in children, including early, acquired heart defects, myocardial revascularization in patients with coronary heart disease (coronary artery bypass grafting) – surgeries performed on the “open” heart using an artificial device blood circulation. Recently, a number of such operations have become possible without cardiac arrest (“on a working heart”).
New modern technologies have been developed and implemented – liver resection for its injuries, affected by tumor processes, etc. (two-phase liver gas-jet dissection), reconstructive surgery on the trachea.
Miniinvasive surgical diagnostic and treatment technologies are increasingly being introduced at both clinical bases of the department: laparoscopic (including severe destructive pancreatitis, mechanical jaundice, hernias); endovideoscopic (urgent clipping of bleeding gastric ulcers, papillosphincterotomy for jaundice, removal of digestive tract polyps); angiographic X-ray endovascular (balloon dilatation of stenosed coronary vessels, carotid, renal arteries, main arteries of the extremities with their subsequent stenting, urgent occlusion of organ arteries in acute bleeding, etc.); videothoracoscopic (suturing and resection of the lungs in case of injury, drainage of pleural and pulmonary abscesses). Responsible for clinical work and prevention work  is Zamyatin D. P., Candidate of Medical Science, Assistant.