A modern cardiac surgery module is planned to be created at the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital

December 17, Vitebsk / Sergey Kochetov - BELTA /. A modern cardiac surgery module is planned to be built at the Vitebsk Regional Clinical Hospital, the chief physician of the clinic, Leonid Papkovich, told reporters today, BELTA correspondent reports. Currently, the project is under development, and a site has been allocated for the building. "The construction of the cardiac surgery module is a very serious step that will allow us to reach the global level of cardiac surgery technologies in the region," emphasized Leonid Papkovich. According to preliminary estimates, the project cost may amount to Br15-20 billion. The clinic's management fully supports the regional executive committee in this matter. In addition, in 2010, it is planned to create a structural unit at the regional clinical hospital that will deal with issues of surgical arrhythmology development. Heart rhythm disorders are a very serious problem that, according to statistics, affects about 30% of people, many of whom take medications for life. "Our clinic plans to seriously focus on this area of cardiac surgery and, in the future, to create an arrhythmology service in the region," noted Leonid Papkovich. This will require focused training of personnel, strengthening the material and technical equipment of the clinic, and allocating premises that meet the necessary requirements, including medical equipment. In 2009, Vitebsk cardiac surgeons performed about 130 open-heart surgeries. All standard cardiac surgical interventions have already been implemented at the regional clinical hospital: open-heart surgeries, including coronary artery bypass grafting, valve prosthetics and plasty, as well as surgeries with cardiopulmonary bypass, and on-pump surgeries. In addition, the cardiac surgery department performs a wide range of interventions on the aorta and major arteries, artery bypass grafting, prosthetics, and artery plasty. -0-