The chief thoracic surgeon of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Peter Yablonskiy, held the robotic master class at BSMU Clinic

On 2 April the chief thoracic surgeon of the Ministry of Healthcare of Russia, Professor Peter Yablonskiy, and the head of the Tuberculosis-Pulmonary department of St. Petersburg Institute of Phthisio-pulmonology, Armen Avetisyan, held the master class on robot-assisted thoracic surgery in BSMU Clinic. The rector of BSMU, corresponding member of RAS, Valentin N. Pavlov opened the master class.

- BSMU Clinic has introduced a new direction: a robot-assisted thoracic surgery. Since the opening of the Volga Center for Robotic Surgery more than 60 operations in various areas were conducted: urology, abdominal surgery, gynecology, cardiovascular surgery. During this period, robotic master classes were held with the participation of such prominent doctors as Jens-Uwe Stolzenburg, Dmitry Pushkar, Evgeniy Bezrukov, Sergey Erin. The Russian and world significance doctor of phthisio-pulmonology, the chief thoracic surgeon of the Ministry of Healthcare of the Russian Federation, Professor Peter Yablonskiy, opens the thoracic direction of our Center, - Valentin N. Pavlov noted.

The robotic direction in thoracic surgery is relatively new for our country. Nowadays, such operations are carried out only in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Krasnodar. Thanks to the opening of the first Center of Robotic Surgery in VFD in February 2018 at BSMU Clinic, modern high-tech assistance became available to residents of our Republic and the nearest regions.

- Today, thoracic surgery is rapidly developing and introducing new technologies into practice because of the increase in the incidence of lung cancer, tuberculosis and congenital diseases of the chest. Robot-assisted operations are the highest priority, due to their minimally invasive and accurate.  The number of possible complications and the duration of the rehabilitation period are reduced. That is a huge advantage for both patients and surgeons, - Peter Kazimirovich Yablonskiy pointed out.

The capabilities of the robotic system were demonstrated to doctors, residents and students of BSMU, broadcast from the operating room was held in the lecture hall of the Clinic. Three patients with volumetric formations in different segments of the lungs were operated on. As part of the master class, Peter Yablonskiy told students about the world trends in robotic surgery.

- New technologies, new techniques is exactly what we, current students, are interested in. We understand that robotic surgery is our professional future, the basics of which we can comprehend in our native University thanks to the opening of the robotic center and conducting master classes from the best specialists of the country, - shared her impressions a 5^th-year student of the Faculty of General Medicine, Valeriya Shevchuk.