COMMENTS ON ARTICLES APPEARING IN VESTNIK KHIRURGII, OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF SURGERY, EDITED BY THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH IN MOSCOW AND LENINGRAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000400720007-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 15, 2013
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: September 8, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY . USSR
SUBJECT
NO. OF PAGES
by Ministry of Health in Moscow and Leningrad.
Ccntnents on Articles Appearing in VESTNIH
I Official Journal of Surgery, Edited
b I
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
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SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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I. The journal, Ves tnik Xhirurgii (The Surgical Neews-Reporter), published every
two Months, generally gives the impression that it is edited for general practi-
cal use for surgeons. The character of the articles is more practical than
scientific. The following comments are on all of the articles appearing in
Vestnik Khirurgii, No. 2, Volume 74, March 1954, Moscow-Leningradz
2. This issue of Vestnik Khirurii starts with an editorial about the election into
the Supreme Soviet of USSR, which was held on 14 Mar 54. The article says:
"99.79% was the attendance in elections They mention some physicians and sur-
geons who were elected into the Supreme Soviet. Incidentally in this article
they mention that the USSR now has 300 thousand physicians, 900 thousand "Feld-
shers" (physician assistants with two years of medical training after high school),
midwives and nurses.
3. A V Melnykov: "Surgical Treatment of Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers".
a. This article contains mostly statistics of the incidence of ulcers and
surgical treatment in selected groups.
b. Interesting statistics are in ulcers in female. Before World War II, the
incidence in female was one to 10, but now it is up to 38.20. Ruptured
ulcer in female before World War II was 2%, during the war 10%; and after
World War II 12.2%.
e. Author gives the classification of the ulcers and gives 12 various groups.
In one. group of 775 ulcers (stomach and duodenum), he had 106 acute in-
flamed, 103 partial obstruction of duodenum, 95 bleeding ulcers, 86 pen-
etrations into neighbor organs, 14 diverticuli of stomach and 19 of duo-
denum, 67 carcinomas found in the ulcer.
T x ~IIAV ~( S
,e A/ bo
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C0I 'IDIINTIAL
3. d. Another group with 649'patients shows 64.2% gastric ulcers and 324 duo'
(all had surgery) 104 died. In 58 patients
u
p
denal ulcers. In this gro
the peritonitis was the cause of death, 15 patients died from hemorrhage,
18 had pulmonary c =plications, five had embolisms, three, had acute
illius, etc.
Another group with 106 patients who have had secondary surgery for ulcers,
after second-
ortalit
t th
y
e m
the mortality was 10.28%. Author states tha
ary surgery in his clinic is 4.2~.
Generally speaking, author says that in USSR, the doctors previously
thought that the incidence of carcinoma from gastric ulcer is about seven
to eight percent, but he thinks that this incidence is much higher. He
estimates up to 1.5~.
c
i
peritonitis, post-operative hemorrhage, post-opera ve s
-author describes "poor diuresis", or probably high BUN, with
electrolytes imbalance and dehydration. The interesting part of the post-
operative treatment is that the author recommends the following treatment
for shock" "Intravenously 20% alcohol in 40% glucose". He does not know
any better treatment for the shock. He had some results in the treatment
of shock with Vitamins B1., B2, C and PP. There is a little about blood
transfusions.
g. Another group in the clinic of author consisted, of 422 patients. The mortality
from, gastric resection for duodenal ulcer was 2.1%, and for gastric ulcer
1.8%. Author states that the mortality throughout the country before World
War II was about nine percent until 1938 and 3.2% at 1940. Since World War
Wax II, it is such lower. He compares the mortality with that in the US,
and states that throughout the US, the mortality from, gastric resection is
still 15-20%, and only in the best US clinics it is about five percent.
b. The main problem for Russian surgeons from the statistics, is
k and as the
ho
t
i. Author. recommends only the gastric resection in the treatment of ulcers.
He does not mention any other surgical procedures (vagotomy,'with or without
resection) and he does not describe the method and technique of resection
(For example: 'Bilroth I or Bilroth II), and also does not mentipn the type
of anastomosis.
se ec a groups, especiAlly when he writes about mortality. He manipulates
With many numbers but mostly whenever he has a number of deaths, then he
does not give the number of the group the patients belong to; and when he
`.givee the number of the group, then he does not give the total mortality
amd;describes only the cause of death on a percentage basis. (For example:
From peritonitis 33.3%, insufficient anastomosis 18.8,, other technical
errors 16.2%O, etc.) The odd part is his numbers about the mortality in the
US when he is writing.about his low mortality; and in the same article he
gives another group of 649 patients, 104 of which died after resection....
in such a big medical center as Leningrad.
4. D A Zhdanov:. "New Facts in Anatomy of the Lymphatic System of Stomach and
Duodenum .
a. Author describes anatomy and topography of lymphatic. system in stomach and
duodenum with microscopic description of the lymphatic capillaries. The
main part of the article is whether the lymph from the duodenum has any
direct connection with pancreas, liver, spleen. The author makes the
conclusion that the lymphatic drainage from the stomach and the duodenum
has the same net and that the main part of the crossing of the lymphatic
vessels is on the upper part of the duodenum which is directly connected
with the pancreas, spleen and liver system.
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T V Zolotareva: "Morphologic Changes in Rectus Muscles After Cutting the Nerves."
a. Article deals with the experimental work on dogs. The experiments were
made in order to determine whether or not the cutting of nerves has anything
to do with atrophy of the muscles and subsequent incisional hernia. Author
states: "1) Cutting of 1-2 nerves close to the spine does not cause any
chafe in:the muscle.. Cutting three or more may cause the atrophy Cf the
muscles. 2) Cutting of one-two nerves close or over the rectus leads to
atrophy of the muscles. 3)Cutting of five or more nerves over the muscles
will lead to the marked atrophy and eventually to incisional hernia, -)
The atrophy starts after.10 days and has the highest--point in 25-30 days."
6. AM Dykhno and A I Sosnina: "Transverse Incision on the Abdomen in Gastric
Surgery.
a. Authors make the conclusions (experience in 99 operations): "1) Transverse
incisions are anatomical and physiological. 2) In most cases, transverse
incisions are healing very well. 3) They are - convenient. for exposure.,
4) They are inconvenient, only if the surgical procedure should be done on
cardia or esophagus.
7. D B Avidon: "Treatment of Intussusception in Children, on the Basis of Materials
From Department of Pediatric Surgery of Raukhfus t Hospital".
as Article based on 222 cases with intussusception operated.upon. Author
describes the symptoms, clinical findings and diagnosis. In this group (all
operated on) was donee "1) 188 reductionsa.15 of which died., 2) Bowel g$
resection 1, with seven.deaths.' 3) Other operations l,l, with seven deaths
8. D P Tchukhrienko: "Meckelts Diverticulum as a Cause of Bevel Obstruction (On
the Basis of Data from Hospitals in the Ukraine).
Author describes. the e t i o logy of Meckelt s diverticulum anal the pre-operative
diagnosis of a simple and complicated &verticulum. Pre-operative diagnosis
for acute bowel obstruction by diverticulum is very difficult. Author
d 111i cases (also from the experience of other doctors). The group
t
lle
e
c
co
has 81, males and. 30 females. All lil+ cases were operated, upony28 of whom died.
The interesting part is that most of the patients (16) died when the re-
section of only diverticulum was done, although 10 out of 30 patients died
who 'had bowel resection (with diverticulum).
9. A A Shalimov: "Modification in Operation of I I Grekov - Recto-sygmoid Resection."
a. "Article describes the recto-sygmoid resection and is based on ,18 cases.
The conclusion of the author.,. Preservation of splincter witb. the mucous
membrane gives good.function in the,bowel movement.. The procedure i's 'done
as"a"closed anastomosis, Author advises to do the radical resection of
the recto-sygmoid for multiple polyps..-
10. V N Deemin: "Establishmemt of Recto-sal, Reflexes and Function of the Sphincter
After Resection of Rectum for Carcinoma."
Article is based on 13 cases with resection of rectum and recto sygmoid
for carcinoma. Authorts conclusions: "1) After abdomino-peri,neal resection
with resection of the mucous membrane over the sphincters the s cal reflexes
ve"e present in 4/5 cases.. 2) After abdomnao-perineal.resection without
resection of mucous membrane .the anal reflexes were present" in all cases.
3) After abdominal resection the sphincter-reflexes were unchanged. There-
fore, the ideal resection for carcinoma of rectum or recto-sygmoid is the
intra-abdominal resections:
11. The rest of the Journal contains short reports of cases, an historical artici
about Russian surgery and reports from surgical meetings. The case reports are:
.CONFID 'IAL
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ColwiDEI TIAIa
"Fascia Transplant to the Ventral Hernia"., "Complicated Inguinal Hernia",-13.My'oaa
of Stomach;' Peptic Ulcer After Stomach Resection, Intussusception of Small
B9Ftei Into Stomach",, "Perforated Ulcer", "Four, Two Meter Small Bowel Resection
.in Case of Bowel Obstruction.- Successful. Case"..
32. This edition of the Journal deals mostly with abdominal surgery. Throughout
the whole journal ' infection is the main trouble that the Russian
surgeons have to fight.Amazingl;;' they have either orders to use small
amounts of anti itotics or they are.simply short in various kinds of antibiotics.
t
f
s o
The largest doses they use during or after surgery a 300 thousand uni
penicillin ,occasionally with ,1/2 gram or even 1/4 gram of streptomycin. Fre- ,
quently they use not more than 150-200 thousand units of penicillin in 2i hours.
All other antibiotics used in the US are not mentioned in Russian journal.
All intra-intestinal antibiotics such as neomycin or sulfathaladin and others
are not-mentioned in any cases of bowel resection. It is interesting that all the
articles do not pay any attention to the pre-operative preparation of the patient
and there is not too much, if anything at all, about the post-operative routine
treatment especially in heavy cases~(such things as electrolytes., etc)*
Another interepting thing is t;ae attitude of the original articles which is en-
tirely different than the second part of the Journal, where case reports are
more or less the same as in Western journals, including US journals. The origin-
al articles do describe: the cases and procedures, but besides this, almost in-
each paragraph we., find directions to ?the' reading. surgeons . For example: The
methods presented by the authors are 'not only described, but recommended to be
followed. Sometimes the methods are even directed, as we find many paragraphs
or sentences. beginning or ending with; "This procedure should be done as fol?
loy....." etc. There is:;1ittle.,...if any.,: controversy between the authors if
they do discuss the same.problemss
14+. In this i ss"ue.,,the:authors do not give any bibliography used by them, but
frequently we find mentioned Inames which are not :Russian. There are several
names mentioned by authors suggesting that they are German,.lish, American,
French,,. etc., so they are. using. the foreign, literature but do not mention it.
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