Igor Pershukov is a professor and head of the Department of Hospital Therapy with a course in Radiological Diagnostics and Oncology at Jalal-Abad State University, and he also holds the position of Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Southern Regional Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery.
We present to you his interview:
“Since I began teaching medicine at Osh State University ten years ago, I have observed positive changes in the field of medicine and medical science in our country. This progress, including the introduction of modern technologies and the opening of new medical institutions, is truly inspiring.
Currently, a new building for the Southern Regional Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery is actively being constructed in Manas, which is expected to be equipped with the most modern medical technology. However, it is important to assess how this innovative center will be able to improve the quality of medical services for patients.
Modern cardiovascular surgery represents a complex and high-tech field of medicine that relies on the achievements of other medical disciplines. Its successes, especially since the second half of the 20th century, are largely associated with progress in imaging methods that assist in diagnostics.
In the mid-20th century, cardiac surgery made significant strides forward with the introduction of in vivo selective catheter diagnosis of the heart and arteries, made possible by catheter angiography. For this work, André Cournand, Dickinson Richards, and Werner Forssmann were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology in 1956.
The introduction of ultrasound methods for examining the heart, as well as the application of the Doppler effect for analyzing blood flow in the heart chambers and major vessels, became the next important stage in the development of cardiac surgery. Ultrasound, which began to be used in the mid-1970s, has significantly improved and now provides three-dimensional and four-dimensional images, making it an integral part of the work of cardiothoracic surgeons in Kyrgyzstan.
The modern development of cardiac surgery is also linked to the introduction of X-ray computed tomography. For this method, developed by Alan Cormack and Godfrey Hounsfield, they received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1979. Modern tomographs allow for multiple slices to be obtained simultaneously, which is especially important for diagnosing heart diseases. The use of contrast agents for visualizing vessels and heart chambers significantly improves diagnostic accuracy and the possibility of surgical intervention.
The method of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become another breakthrough in medicine. Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield, the pioneers of MRI, received the Nobel Prize in 2003. For heart studies, expert-class machines with a magnetic field of at least 1.5 Tesla are required, allowing for high-quality research.
Positron emission tomography (PET) represents another important imaging method that helps determine the condition of organs and tissues. With PET-CT and PET-MRI, doctors can assess the possibility of heart recovery after surgeries, which is especially relevant for patients with serious diseases.
All the technologies mentioned are known worldwide and provide cardiothoracic surgeons with opportunities for more accurate predictions of surgeries and diagnostics. However, it is important that these methods are available not only in one center but also in other medical institutions in the region. The widespread application of these technologies should cover not only cardiovascular programs but also other areas of medicine.
The culture of diagnostic research will determine the quality of surgeries performed in the new building of the Southern Regional Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery. Doctors must master these techniques, and there should be demand for them from cardiologists and cardiac surgeons for the effective conduct of high-tech surgeries.
By 2025, a solution has been found at Jalal-Abad State University to attract international experts in the field of radiological diagnostics to teach at the medical faculty. This step will help improve the educational process for students and bring the university closer to digitalization, which, in turn, will allow for the training of qualified specialists in the field of imaging.
As they say, one in the field is not a warrior. Manas and the entire country need a comprehensive program for vascular studies using CT and MRI. To achieve this, it is necessary to attract the best global specialists in the field of radiological diagnostics, which will help Kyrgyzstan integrate into modern medical technologies, where all methods complement each other.”
