Belarus’ cardiology center performs 30 heart transplants in January-August 2014

Since the beginning of the year, the Cardiology National Research Center has performed 30 heart transplants, the head of the chronic heart failure laboratory at the center, Yelena Kurlyanskaya, told reporters, BelTA has learned.

According to Yelena Kurlyanskaya, the center uses all methods to treat chronic heart failures. The center has been doing heart transplants for five years already and has performed 144 heart transplants, including on children. Last year Belarus was ranked 9th in the world in terms of the number of transplant surgeries (4.2 surgeries per 1 million people). One-year survival rate is 77-78%. No European center can boast 100% survival rate.

The Cardiology National Research Center also performs device implant surgeries (implanting mechanical auxiliary systems that work instead of the heart and support a patient with a severe heart failure before a transplant). The center also offers resynchronization therapy when a patient with severe hear problems is implanted a pacemaker for the heart to work properly.

According to Deputy Director of the Cardiology National Research Center Alexander Patseyev, Belarus’ cardiology service encompasses the Cardiology National Research Center and regional cardiology centers. Cardiac surgery units are available in every oblast. There are cardiology rooms and departments in districts. In Belarus there are 670 cardiologists. “These are not many and we also count on the general therapeutic network. General practitioners make a huge contribution,” the medic said.

The cardiology service is staffed, however, there is a shortage of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons in some districts of Minsk Oblast and Brest Oblast. Alexander Patseyev noted that it takes years to train a cardiac surgeon. A person that conducts heart surgeries should be a highly-qualified specialist.