The scientific and practical conference “Multidisciplinary treatment of children with Spina Bifida” started on September 2 at the Scientific and Educational Innovation Center of DSMU. The event was organized in order to improve information support and improve the professional level of pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, neurologists, urologists, orthopedic traumatologists of  Dagestan  Republic.   The organizers of the event were: Dagestan State Medical University, Ministry of Health of Dagestan Republic; children’s clinic “Kidney”.

Heads of medical organizations, deputy chief physicians, pediatricians, pediatric surgeons, orthopedic traumatologists, doctors of the general medical network providing medical care to children were invited to take part in the event. The conference was also attended by leading specialists of the federal state budgetary institution Research Children’s Orthopedic Institute named after G. I. Turner( St. Petersburg): Deputy Director Vladimir Kenis; head of the Spina Bifida Center Stanislav Ivanov and neurologist of the Center Irina Solokhina.

The conference was attended by: Vice-rector for Medical Work of  DSMU Magomed Khamidov; Director of the Institute of Additional Professional Education of   DSMU Luisa Agalarova; Head  Pediatrics Department of Faculty of Advanced  Training  and Teaching Staff of  DSMU Magomed Israilov.

Zulfiya Batdalova, General Director of the children’s clinic “Kidney opened the event and welcomed all participants of the conference. “Throughout their life in families, children with Spina Bifida need medical support for them to have a full life”/

The purpose of our event is to inform doctors that there is a center for the treatment of children with the consequences of spinal hernias in Russia; that the most highly qualified specialists are receiving patients there. The center provides diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitation assistance to children with this rare and terrible diagnosis.

Research Children’s Orthopedic Institute has developed and put into practice a program of comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of children with the consequences of spinal hernias since 2013. A special feature of the program is a multidisciplinary approach to patient treatment with the participation of an orthopedist, a neurologist, a neurosurgeon, a urologist and a psychologist. The Institute established the Center for the Treatment of Children with the Consequences of Spinal Hernias (Spina bifida)  in 2015  within the framework of which an outpatient unit “Spina bifida Consultation” was formed, providing diagnostic and therapeutic assistance to patients from various cities and regions of Russia. “This is a whole team of specialists who together do a great job. And the most important thing in this work is the result, ” Batdalova said in her speech. She noted that this Center is the only one of its kind in Russia. Then a video clip was presented to the audience, in which it was told in detail about the Center.

On behalf of the Minister of Health of  Dagestan Republic Tatyana Belyaeva, Deputy Minister Raisa Shakhsinova welcomed the participants of the conference. She thanked the guests who found the opportunity to come to participate in the conference, reminded those present of the need to observe a mask regime and stressed the importance of vaccination.

Raisa Shakhsinova noted the relevance of the conference topic. “Over the past six months, the number of children under the age of one year who died from a congenital pathology of abnormal development has increased by 40%. We need to take measures to stop this growth, so that the trouble does not get into families. The slightest chance to treat a child should be taken advantage of and give life to a sick child. Every Friday, a consultation on the detection of fetal defects in pregnant women meets in the perinatal center. Recently, the congenital pathology has been increasing. Today there is a chance to get treatment for sick children.

Our task is to provide medical care to the sick child  as much as possible, to organize help for him in the center, where the right treatment will be selected. Let today become a source of knowledge for each of you and I am sure that you will be able to implement the experience that you will get here in practical healthcare,” Shakhsinova said.

On behalf of the acting rector of the DSMU, Naida Mollayeva, the vice-rector for Medical Work of  DSMU  Magomed Khamidov welcomed all the participants.

He also noted the relevance of this topic. “This is a very serious problem, when 1-2 newborns are born with a congenital pathology for 1 thousand newborns. A lot of work is needed to overcome these problems. Today’s medicine is evidence – based, so it is necessary first of all to identify problems. This requires a powerful team with its own program, and we see that such a team has gathered today, ” Khamidov stressed. He also noted the great work of the children’s clinic “Kidney” in Makhachkala, which is the clinical base of  DSMU.

Then a guest from St. Petersburg, Vladimir Kenis, spoke. He spoke about the Center and the work that is being carried out jointly with Dagestani colleagues. The guest expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Dagestan  for interaction with their center and interest in further cooperation.

The plenary part of the conference presented to the audience a number of reports on topical and interesting topics: “Major neurological changes in children with Spina Bifida”; “Orthopedic treatment of lower limb deformities in children with Spina Bifida”; “Prenatal ultrasound diagnostics of combined pathology of the urinary system organs in the fetus with Spina Bifida”; “Pelvic organ disorders in patients with Spina Bifida”; “Ophthalmological disorders in patients with Spina Bifida” and many other reports.

On Friday, September 3, the event will continue its work at the clinic “Kidney”, where you can see how sick children are being treated.