Lithuanians in the News
13th October 2013
Lithuanian Surgeons Achieve a World First in Heart Surgery
The Santariškės Clinics in Vilnius. Photo courtesy santa.lt
A unique world first was achieved by Lithuanian surgeons at the Santariškiai Clinics (Santariškių Klinikos) of Vilnius University Hospital. In a 6 hour operation they operated on a 61 year old patient after a heart attack, with chronic heart failure and ventricular aneurysm. They successfully operated on the patient without opening the patient’s chest, or stopping the heart and without a heart-lung machine, achieving minimally invasive heart surgery.
The Santariškiai Clinics is one of the major hospitals in Lithuania, founded by Vilnius University and the Lithuanian Ministry of Health. The team of Lithuanian surgeons and specialists who carried out the operation, in cooperation with US colleagues, were Drs. Gintaras Kalinauskas, Kęstutis Ručinskas, Robertas Samalavičius, Giedrius Davidavičius, Ieva Norkienė and Vilius Janušauskas.

Further information:
http://www.lithuaniatribune.com/tag/cardiac-surgeon-gintaras-kalinauskas/
http://naujienos.vu.lt/mokslas/kita-mokslas/26962-vu-ligonineje-santariskiu-klinikos-atlikta-pirmoji-pasaulyje-unikali-sirdies-operacija