Dedicated to Veniamin Arsenievich Sitnikov (1936–2022), honoured doctor of the Russian Federation

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the memory of the Honoured Doctor of the Russian Federation, Doctor of Medical Sciences, member of the European Association of Intensive Care, Academician of the Russian Academy of Laser Sciences, outstanding professor, member of the International Association of Hepatologists, Veniamin Arsenyevich Sitnikov.

Full Text

Life to pass - not a field to pass -
This proverb is not random.
Summing up at the end of the road,
The main thing is in the memories.
V.A. Sitnikov
On February 16, 2022, at the age of eighty-six, an outstanding professor, member of the International Association of Hepatologists, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Sitnikov Veniamin Arsenyevich passed away.
Sitnikov V.A. was born on January 2, 1936 in the village of Malo-Kabanovo, Vozhgalsky district, Kirov region, in a family of workers. In 1937, the family, consisting of 10 people, moved to live in the city of Kirov. Father, Arseny Vasilyevich, died in 1941 at the front in Leningrad. In 1954, Veniamin Arsenievich entered the Izhevsk Medical Institute, graduated from it in 1960. After that, he worked for 3 years in the Uninsk District Hospital of the Kirov Region, where he was the chief physician and surgeon.
V. A. Sitnikov associated his choice of the profession of a doctor with his frequent illnesses in wartime childhood, with caring for a seriously ill grandfather (pulmonary tuberculosis), who fell ill in German captivity in the First World War, with childhood impressions of the wounded and disabled in hospitals. His interest in surgery became stronger in high school after reading books such as "The Tale of a Real Man" by B. Polevoy, "Notes of a Young Doctor" by M. Bulgakov and others. While studying at the Izhevsk Medical Institute, he often went on emergency duty to surgical clinics and a maternity hospital. An example for him was the work of surgeons and obstetricians-gynecologists of clinics led by professors N. F. Rupasov, S. I. Voronchikhin, A. I. Zverev, A. V. Khokhlov. His favorite teachers in surgery and obstetrics and gynecology were associate professors and experienced doctors L.V. Vakhrusheva, V.S. Chudnova, E.F. Opaleva, A.A. Vasilkova, A.A. Kalinkina, I.A. Zorin, A. M. Artemiev, G.I. Volkov.

From 1963 to 1966 he studied at the postgraduate course at the Department of Hospital Surgery of the State Medical Institute under the guidance of Professor A.I. Zverev. From the memoirs of V.A. Sitnikova: "Postgraduate life is a marathon run over a distance of three years with periodic accelerations, with a constant thought day and night - in a dream and in reality - to be in time, to be in time, to be in time!".
Brilliantly defended his Ph.D. thesis in 1967 on the topic: "The practical significance of the topography of the atrioventricular conduction system in heart surgery."
Since 1973, he worked as an associate professor at the Department of Hospital Surgery, in 1987 he was elected rector of the State Institute of Medical Sciences, and then, in 1988, he became the head of the Department of Faculty Surgery.
In 1990 he defended his second doctoral dissertation, in which he touched upon the problem of developing methods for sorption detoxification - hemosorption and lymphosorption. This problem has become the most urgent in the world in connection with organ transplantation. Gradually, sorption methods of detoxification and immunocorrection became one of the leading scientific directions in the research activities of the Institute of State Medical Institute and their introduction into the medical practice of the Udmurt Republic.
For 5 years of work as a rector, V. A. Sitnikov was engaged in the preparation of scientific and pedagogical personnel, strengthened the material and technical base and sought to improve the educational process of students. At this time, he defended 18 doctoral and 70 more master's theses, opened the faculty of advanced training for doctors, the faculty of pre-university training, laid the foundation for international relations for the exchange of students with foreign medical universities in India, Asia and Africa. Produced the construction of a new educational building IGMA. V. A. Sitnikov was a qualified surgeon, he always used in teaching, his rich experience as a clinician, health care organizer. From 1972 to 1984 he led the student scientific circle of the Department of Hospital Surgery. He organized scientific and practical conferences on the topics: "The profession of a surgeon is a feat", "Pages of life and work of prominent domestic surgeons and surgeons of Udmurtia", "How to become a surgeon?", "Errors and dangers in surgery", "Deontology in surgery" and many other. Sitnikov V.A. provided constant methodological assistance to the practical healthcare of the UR in improving the qualifications of doctors and introducing new methods of diagnosis and treatment. Under his leadership, the method of extracorporeal connection of a donor porcine spleen, approved by the M3 of the USSR in 1985, was introduced into the wide medical practice of healthcare in the UR, and began to be successfully used in the leading clinics of our country. In the Udmurt Republic, this method was introduced in 1988 into the clinical practice of the 1st Republican Clinical Hospital by the efforts of professors V.A. Sitnikova and S.N. Styazhkina. From 1997 to 2007, he was the head of the Republican Center for Active Surgical Immunocorrection (RCASHI). The research work of the center included the study of the biochemical, immunological composition of heterogeneous cytokines of the splenoperfusate substance, the main biomechanisms of the therapeutic effect of various xenosplenotherapy options, as well as such efferent and immunocorrective methods as oxygen therapy (sodium hypochlorite, ozonated solutions, hydrogen peroxide solutions), plasmapheresis, ultraviolet and laser irradiation of blood, hemosorption, enterosorption, cholesorption. He performed more than 100 operations on the main bile ducts, the lymphatic system and many others.

V.A. Sitnikov became the author of more than 700 scientific papers, incl. 15 monographs, 30 information letters, 10 methodological recommendations, 30 teaching aids for students and practitioners, editor of 12 collections of IGMA and 4 Russian scientific conferences on efferent flow methods; author of 12 inventions and more than 70 rationalization proposals. Under his leadership, 18 candidate and 4 doctoral dissertations were defended. He is also the author of many textbooks, collections of scientific and practical works. Sitnikov V.A. wrote several autobiographical books ("Children of War", "Do good, so it is necessary!", "Life given to people" and others.), In which he spoke about the formation of his professional and creative path. He also wrote magnificent poems dedicated to the Great Patriotic War called "Thoughts on the Road 2015, 2016".
From 1990 to 2009 he was the chairman of the problematic commission on surgery, the chairman of the scientific and practical society of surgeons of the UR, for 5 years the chairman of the dissertation council of the IGMA on surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, forensic medicine, and from 1995 to 2015 he was a member of the dissertation council of the Perm State Medical academy for the defense of candidate and doctoral dissertations.
Since 1999, V. A. Sitnikov has been awarded the badges “Excellent worker in health care of the USSR”, “Inventor of the USSR”. He is an Honored Doctor of the Udmurt ASSR (1991), an Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation (2002), as well as a laureate of the State Prize of Udmurtia in 1995 in the field of science, an Honored Scientist of the Udmurt Republic (2008).
Veniamin Arsenievich devoted 60 years to medicine, of which 53 years he served at the Izhevsk State Medical Academy (IGMI). He worked for 25 years in the 2nd City Clinical Hospital of Izhevsk and 28 years in the First Republican Clinical Hospital. He was directly involved in the training of medical graduates of the medical university. Many of its graduates are now working in different parts of our large country, as well as abroad.
His life took place not only professionally, but also in his personal life. With his wife Lilia Borisovna Sokolova, Sitnikov V.A. met while still a student, together they went through the harsh school of the “zemstvo hospital” of the 60s of the Soviet period. These were their first steps in practical medicine in the conditions of a rural district hospital, where every success, every difficulty is in full view of the population. It was there that they learned a sense of responsibility, medical duty - to be responsible for the health, and sometimes for the lives of people living on the territory attached to the hospital. It was there that they learned the basic principles of the doctor's work - to correctly diagnose, and not be late, to have time to do everything on time, correctly and clearly, as taught by their teachers - professors, associate professors, experienced doctors, colleagues. The spirit of medical activity, care has always been in the center of attention of their large family. The Sitnikovs had two sons, one of whom followed in the footsteps of their parents. The family dynasty of doctors Iovleva - Sokolova - Sitnikov will turn 193 years old in 2022.
They say that a person lives as long as the memory of him is kept. Thanks to his great contribution to medicine, scientific works, education of outstanding students, the memory of Sitnikov V.A. will be forever! He will forever remain in our grateful hearts, in our memory and in our science.