Scientific life in 2018

Almazov Centre with its core specializations — cardiology and angiology — is among the twenty national medical research centres composing the network set up by the Russian Health Ministry.

In 2018, Almazov Centre hosted a number of events:

• 2nd Saint Petersburg Forum on Control of Overweight and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (March 23–24, 2018)
• 6th Global Educational Forum Russian Cardiovascular Days organized by the Russian Society of Cardiology (April 19–21, 2018)
• 17th All-Russian Neurosurgery Conference with international participation Polenov's Readings (April 23–25, 2018)
• All-Russian Youth Medical Conference with international participation Almazov’s Readings 2018 and Young Professionals Forum Almazov’s Workshop (May 16–18, 2018)
• 11th interdisciplinary conference on obstetrics, perinatology and neonatology Healthy Woman — Healthy Newborn (May 23–24, 2018)
• All-Russian Scientific-Practical Conference with international participation Current Topical Issues of Endocrinology: Regional Focus (May 24–26, 2018)
• Russian-French Congress on Sleep Disorders (May 30–June 2, 2018)
• National Medical Innovation Forum 21st Century Medicine: Integration of Knowledge in Cross-Disciplinary Science (June 7–9, 2018)
• Workshop on endovascular neurosurgery Treatment of Complex Aneurysms and Cerebral AVMs (July 18–19, 2018)
• 2nd Lymphology School (October 11–12, 2018)
• 7th Saint Petersburg School of Arrhythmology (October 15–17, 2018)
• Scientific and practical conference Radiology in Perinatology and Pediatrics (October 18–19, 2018)
• 2nd Interdisciplinary Conference with international participation Orphan Diseases: Diagnosis, Treatment and Rehabilitation (November 16, 2018)

Almazov Centre and Unidata, a domestic software developer, continue to cooperate. In summer 2018, they began joint work to create the Atrial Fibrillation Ablation registry. Atrial fibrillation is the most common heart rhythm disturbance in the world (30-40% of all arrhythmias) and ablation is one of the most effective methods to treat this condition. The main objective of the new project is to create a nationwide database of patients using the unique technologies supplied by Unidata.

The research team from ITMO University and Almazov Centre proposed a new non-contact method to measure the upper limb blood flow. The method is based on video recording of the skin surface and measuring the absorption of green light by red blood cells. It allows assessing the state of the circulatory system and the efficiency of blood flow regulation. The experimental results showed that the accuracy of the proposed method is not inferior to that of the traditional one. However, it is easier to use, less expensive and is suitable for more patients.

The specialists at the Vascular Surgery Clinic of Almazov Centre were among the first in Russia to actively implement the intravascular imaging technique for the treatment of atherosclerosis of internal carotid artery. In November 2018, they performed 30 stenting procedures using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and 28 procedures using optical coherence tomography (OCT) in 58 patients with internal carotid artery stenosis in the hybrid cath lab. The use of intravascular imaging methods will ensure improved assessment of arterial lesion severity and better accuracy of selection of the implantable device, and will optimize the immediate and long-term outcomes of treatment.

The specialists of Almazov Centre took part in the 10th International Congress of the Polish Society for Vascular Surgery, 12th World Congress of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in Paris, 28th Annual Meeting on Hypertension and Cardiovascular Protection of the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) in Barcelona, 46th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery (ISPN 2018) in Tel Aviv.

Researchers and clinicians of the Centre also gave presentations and presented posters at scientific symposia, international congresses and conferences, including the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (France), 5th International Congress on Cardiac Problems in Pregnancy (Italy), 33rd Annual Congress of the European Association of Urology (Denmark), European Heart Rhythm Congress (Barcelona), 67th International Congress of the European Society of Cardiovascular and Endovascular Surgery (France), World-Leading Course in Interventional Cardiovascular Medicine (EuroPCR Course 2018).

Other research, clinical and educational highlights

• January 2018 — combined, high-tech procedure in a 49-year-old patient with a large malignant kidney tumor complicated by a tumor thrombus in the inferior vena cava and metastasis in the right adrenal gland.
• March 26, 2018 — milestone donor heart transplant. The procedure went smoothly and without complications. The patient’s condition is satisfactory, he is on immunosuppressive therapy and has started doing physiotherapy exercises. The surgery itself is just one facet of teamwork by all the departments involved in the implementation of the heart transplant programme at Almazov Centre.
• Rare hybrid repair of a giant cerebral artery aneurysm in a child, the first surgery of such kind in Saint Petersburg.
• December 2018 — a combined minimally invasive surgery for a successful removal of a kidney with a large malignant tumor in a 21-year-old girl.
• A successful surgery on a baby with a congenital lung malformation. Thanks to the leading-edge technologies and high professionalism of doctors, the baby from Vologda received timely care: the abnormal tissue portion was removed before complications occurred.
• Successful implantation of an artificial left ventricle made in Russia in a pediatric patient of 15 years old. This domestic device is used only in adults with acute heart conditions who need subsequent heart transplantation. According to the specialists of Almazov Centre, such devices were implanted in only 50 patients in Russia. This is the first case of successful implantation of a domestic ventricular assist device in a pediatric patient in Russia.
• According to the ranking by online journals DoctorPiter and Gorod 812, in 2018 Almazov Centre was ranked first among top clinics of Saint Petersburg in cardiovascular surgery and endocrinology.
• According to Government Decree No. 8 of 13 January 2018, Almazov Centre will be the first Russian scientific institution to train doctors in a higher education program. The project involving the use of new training forms engages teachers and instructors from the leading universities and research institutes, including members of the Scientific and Educational Medical Cluster “Translational Medicine”. The training program is to be implemented from 2018 to 2024.
• A total of 771 trainees, including 593 residents, 103 PhD students and the first 75 students in General Medicine specialty programme, started their studies at Almazov Centre in academic year 2018 to 2019. All these trainees have chosen our Centre as an advanced research and clinical facility.