MYKOLA AMOSOV: A WAY TO THE HEART
6, December is the 101st anniversary since birthday of creator of modern cardiosurgery in Ukraine, famous scientist, talented writer…
In fact, the second Amosov’s century only begins. Moreover, in the very deep sense his lessons of life of the knight in medicine with features of Don Quixote but with the energy of Pyrogov in his devotedness to patient and injured. Of course, in these records, in the alive legend of past century there are the principal accents: how Mykola Mykhaylovych came to construction and implementation of Ukrainian variant for “eternal engine” in great surgery of the heart, as well as his institute of cardiovascular surgery – CPB pump? One of the phenomena in the great storm of stoic and ascetic aspects is that during new bold strokes Amosov was already an experienced surgeon, pioneer of thoracal interferences, Doctor of Science. The picture of creative life and beyond such passionate but painful heroic deed – creation of machine instead of heart could be rather calmly and prestigiously. But the thing is that without CPB pump, outside this flaming passion Amosov could not become the real Amosov. Likewise Lev Tolstoy could not be imagined, having forgotten “War and peace” and Mykhaylo Bulgakov – having crossed “White guard” and “Master and Margaret”.
HE LIVED WITH “EXPERIMENTAL LIFE”.
In general, Mykola Mykhaylovych, who wielded a skilful pen at the extraordinary level, was inclined to self-analysis and not only in cases of unpleasant surgical failures. As no one else, he tragically experienced the deaths of patients at the background of frequent incredible bold strokes for the sake of life; however he again and again stood at operating table. According to the words by researcher of his searches and creativity I. Trachtenberg he lived with the “experimental life”. He belonged to the category of extremely capable people from nature, genuine intellectual stars, however the personalities of untiring assiduity. He found the surgical Harvard at the war, when his brave operative inventive capacity, his amendments to impossible canons as it seemed was needed for the sake of lives of injured soldiers in field Amosov’s hospital. Mykola Mykhaylovych remained to be an inventor, and hereby rather often a real pioneer and sometimes a self-taught student for all later times. However the scrupulosity led him always and everywhere forwards. Even in the phrase; “To write your own history! For self-expression! But – too little talent”.
However, how was the way to CPB pump laid, how did the previous times in ancient street of Kyiv, where Amosov, invited at the beginning of the 50-ies to Ukraine, received the modest surgical department at medical institute, sound? In his wonderful book “Voices of times” (1998) he writes: “It is not easy to select cardiac patients: until that time there has been the “hierarchy” of therapeutists. It seemed that they know the heart defects. In the very building in Reiterska street there was the therapeutic clinic of Elberg, and assistant professor Lichtenstein there. He took me to help. Of course, I read everything I could. For the first time I had the phonendoscope in my pocket to hear the heart. I knew X-ray well already from Bryansk…
The first operation at mitral stenosis – commissurotomy, enlargement of joined valves by finger. Within this purpose one needed to enter the left atrium. I operated: local anesthesia as at Vyshnevskyy. I have just put my finger into mitral aperture as the patient became unconscious and started dying. I quickly enlarged the joined valves and luckily I managed to reanimate.
But I was alarmed! If the first patient dies all others will not come… No, favorite local anesthesia for the heart will not fit! The intratracheal anesthesia is needed: from apparatus, through the tube in trachea, with artificial breathing”.
