STUDY PROGRAMMES
The clinic has implemented a problem-based teaching system. Endocrinology and endocrine surgery module provides lectures on endocrine and obesity surgery and conducts practical work for fourth-year students of the LSMU Medical Academy.
For fifth-year students of the Medical Academy, in the pathology module of the digestive system, students are taught the principles of diagnosis of diseases of the digestive system and the application of surgical treatment methods. Lectures are given, practical work and seminars are conducted.
Students from abroad are also trained at the Department of Surgery. Students from Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Germany, Spain, Sweden, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan apply the acquired surgical knowledge while working in their countries or in Western Europe.
RESIDENCY PROGRAMMES, POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
The Department is the university’s main base for the Surgical Residency and Abdominal Surgery Residency programmes. Every year, about 10 surgeons and abdominal surgeons graduate from postgraduate studies, who add to the ranks of Lithuanian surgeons.
Doctor’s training courses are held annually in the Department of Surgery, aimed at continuing the qualification of surgeons and abdominal surgery doctors. In them, doctors from other Lithuanian medical institutions learn about the practical possibilities and results of applying the latest treatment methods.
Pathogenesis, clinical and experimental studies of neoplastic and inflammatory diseases of the digestive system; clinical studies of digestive system surgery-induced metabolic changes, clinical surgery technology optimisation studies.
ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS:
- “New aspects of alimentary treatment of obesity”. The project partner is LSMU Gastroenterology Clinic.
- “Economic effect of bariatric surgery in the treatment of type 2 diabetes”. The project partner is LSMU Endocrinology Clinic.
- “Effect of bowel loop length on weight loss and metabolic changes after gastric bypass surgery in morbidly obese cohorts”. Partners: Klaipėda National Hospital, Lithuania, Vaasa Central Hospital, Finland.
- “Bilopancreatic loop length and course of diabetes after gastric bypass surgery”.
- “Comparison of postoperative abdominal wall hernia treatment methods. A prospective study”.
- “Implication of promoter hypermethylation of tumour suppressor genes in the pathogenesis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma”. Project partner – Institute of Experimental Haematology and Transfusion, University of Bonn, Germany.
- “Examination of DNA hypomethylation of genomic repetitive nucleotide sequences in blood of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients”. Project partner – Institute of Experimental Haematology and Transfusion, University of Bonn, Germany.
- “P. Vateri LINE-1 hypomethylation studies in different histomorphological forms”. The project partner is LSMU Department of Pathological Anatomy.
- “Optimisation of treatment tactics for liver metastatic tumours”. “Investigation of factors influencing survival after radical surgery for periampullary cancer”.
Projects funded by the Lithuanian Science Council:
- “Pancreatic stellate cell activity and redox state studies”.
- “Energetic, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of resistance to apoptosis and chemotherapy in pancreatic adenocarcinoma”.
- “Colon and rectal cancer: study of mortality, disability, quality of life in Lithuania”. Partner – VU MF Surgery Clinic.
- “Search for new molecular markers important for the prognosis and treatment of rectal carcinoma”.
Participation in international programmes:
- EOA (European Obesity Academy) international continuous project in cooperation with Stockholm Karolinska Institute (Sweden).
- Pancreas2000 – an international educational and scientific training programme for future pancreatologists.
- Regular annual international training courses for doctors in obesity surgery “Laparoscopic Gastric Bypass”. Doctors from 13 Eastern and Central European countries and the United Arab Emirates participated in the courses.
- COST – European Cooperation in Science and Technology programme:
Activity No. BM1204. “An integrated European platform for pancreas cancer research: from basic science to clinical and public health interventions for a rare disease”.
Activity No. BM0907. “European Network for Translational Immunology Research and Education (ENTIRE): From immunomonitoring to personalized immunotherapy”.