Co-operation Between U.K., Russian Surgeons

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28897, 18 May 1959, Page 11

Co-operation Between U.K., Russian Surgeons

(Rec. 10 p.m.) , LONDON, May 16. Britain’s team of heart specialists arrived at London airport today in the Soviet Tu-104 jet airliner which opened the Aeroflot, the Soviet airline, inaugural flight between London and Moscow.

The team, led by Adelaide-born Mr William Paton Cleland, carried out hazardous “hole-in-the-heart’’ operations on Russian children during their three-week visit to the Soviet Union. All four operations—the first on a 12-y ear-old girl—were reported to be successful. The team took with them a heart-lung machine designed by one of the party. Dr Denis Melrose. Mr Cleland, pioneer of heart and artery operations on children, told a press conference at the airport: “We hope this has opened up a new era of cooperation between surgeons of both countries.’’ The team, he said, had invited Russian surgeons to visit Britain. It was possible they would operate on British patients. Mr Cleland said that Professor Alexander Bakulev, president of the Russian Academy of Medical Science, was well pleased with the visit and the friendship established between British and Russian surgeons. He revealed that Russian surgeons carried out a hole-in-the-heart operation on a dog while the British surgeons stood by and gave instructions. A hole was made in the animals heart and successfully repaired. Mr Cleland said there were a number of Russian children suffering from congenital heart disease in the hospital where the operations were performed “Some of them were very disappointed that they were not going to have operations as well, he said. Asked it the team learned anything from the Russians, he said: “We saw a number of very interesting instruments which are specially designed for rapid sewing together of various parts such as arteries, nerves and intestines —a technique which they have developed very intensively. “We were most impressed with these instruments and they were demonstrated to us. As far as I know, there is nothing like them anywhere else.” Dr. Melrose announced that the team had been invited to return to Moscow for further operations

as part of a conference to be arranged. The Russians themselves would carry out a series of experiments to master the hole-in-the-heart operation technique. Asked whether the cold war was forgotten in the surgery, he said: “It was never mentioned.” He added: “We had a very wonderful time. Our Russian hosts were unbelievably kind to us. They left no stone unturned to meet any demands, even exacting ones. We formed very close friendships with many of them.”