The history of doctor Svyatoslav Fedorov

Vision allows a person to receive about 80% of information about the world. It is not surprising that medicine has always fought fiercely for eye health. But the advanced capabilities of modern ophthalmology would not be possible without the contribution of talented people.

And today's edition. "Site" will tell about the greatest Russian ophthalmologist Svyatoslav Nikolaevich Fedorov, whose life was tragically cut short in an accident in the summer of 2000 under unknown circumstances.

Official sources called the cause of the tragedy the breakdown of the helicopter, which flew the doctor. However, relatives and colleagues of the doctor still believe that the death was staged.





Future ophthalmologist was born in 1927 in Ukraine in Proskurov (now Khmelnitsky). In those years, aviation was on an incredible rise, and the boy grew up in an environment where everyone was literally obsessed with airplanes. He planned to become a pilot and little Glory. But life was different.

The father of the boy Nikolai Fedorov was a commander, passed the First World War. He strongly supported his son’s aspirations. However, in 1938, Nicholas was arrested and sentenced to 17 years in camps. A well-respected professional military man, who was an example to little Slava, suddenly became an enemy of the people. This was a terrible blow for the whole family, but the boy did not give up his dream of becoming a pilot.



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In March 1945, when Svyatoslav was already studying at the Rostov Air Force special school, a new disaster happened. The guy was in a hurry to school for a holiday and failed to jump off the tram. The foot was hit by a wheel and the teenager cut off his left foot. It was necessary to wear a prosthesis, and about the career of the pilot, flights and the endless sky had to forget.

Svyatoslav decided to enter the medical school. Although the profession of a doctor was not considered as prestigious as that of a pilot, and there was no place for romance, but a doctor saves lives. Considering this, the guy chose his way and in 1952 graduated from the Rostov Medical Institute.





There is an opinion that graduates of medical educational institutions are enthusiastic only at first, and eventually lose their fuse. If this is so, then everything was different for Fedorov - every year his interest in medical practice only grew.

“A case is the only criterion for assessing a person, no matter what obstacles stand in the way. If you can prove yourself right, you win. If you fail, those who defended their position won, the doctor liked to say.

Already in 1958 he successfully defended his thesis. 2 years later, beginner ophthalmologist Svyatoslav Fedorov He did a revolutionary operation, successfully replacing the patient's eye lens with an artificial one.

If in the West such operations have been practiced for several years, then Soviet medicine considered such charlatanism. Fedorov was fired from office. Fortunately, after the trial, the talent of the ophthalmologist was assessed correctly and sent to the medical institute of Arkhangelsk to hold the post of head of the department of eye diseases.





Fedorov attracted young specialists, like-minded people who wanted to contribute to the development of eye microsurgery. More and more patients went to the talented surgeon who hoped to regain their sight. And more often than not, their hopes were fulfilled.

Svyatoslav Nikolaevich was appreciated and invited to Moscow. In the capital, the ophthalmologist took his talented like-minded people, with the help of whom many incredible operations for that time became a reality: vision correction by applying incisions on the cornea of the eye (keratotomy), corneal transplantation, glaucoma surgery, laser eye microsurgery ...

“A man does not want to be a slave, nor a slave of another man, nor a slave of things, including glasses, without which he cannot enjoy life.”

Heading NTC "Microsurgery of the eye", Fedorov achieved amazing (as for the 80s) powers. The organization had a foreign exchange account, could serve foreign patients, made decisions about the number of employees and their salaries.





When budget funding declined in the 90s, STC Eye Microsurgery was engaged in agriculture, hotel business, equipment manufacturing, patent sales and other activities that allowed not only to stay afloat, but also to expand significantly.

There was a dairy plant, as well as 2 plants for the production of frames for glasses, lenses, surgical instruments and electronic devices. For the needs of the complex, even a helicopter was bought, on which Fedorov flew to calls to remote regions.

At one time, Fedorov opposed the privatization of STC Eye Microsurgery and the organization with all the considerable financial assets belonged to the Ministry of Health.



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Before the death of the leader, the complex was feverish. A number of employees advocated the creation of a paid branch for the rich, which would exist separately from others. But Fedorov refused to separate the patients.

“I will not let you divide the people who come for help! Everyone should be served equally well – that’s the meaning of my life. doctor.

A month before the tragedy, Svyatoslav Nikolaevich fulfilled a long-standing dream – he received a pilot’s license. He is said to have been at the helm on that fateful day. On June 2, 2000, on the way back from Tambov to Moscow, a helicopter carrying Fedorov and another 3 people began to rapidly lose altitude and fell near the Moscow Ring Road. Everyone's dead.

The problem with the helicopter was during the flight to Tambov. Then there was a failure of the sensor, which showed fuel 60 liters more than it actually was. The crew had to urgently land a helicopter to refuel just 6 km from its destination. It was not possible to return to Moscow...



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“Every day we need to do something new. If you can do what you want in life, that is happiness. I succeeded, the microsurgeon said shortly before his death.

Every year on August 8, on the birthday of Fedorov, his students hold a charity event “Beautiful eyes for everyone”. Over time, other experts joined the event. Over 18 years, more than 110,000 consultations and 7,919 operations were conducted (according to the latest data).

In June, he died, and after 2 months, students began to hold an action. Moreover, in 2003 the action received international status.”

I remember in 2003, during a traditional free consultation in St. Petersburg, the director of the clinic, Tamaz Shalvovich Mchedlidze, put a portrait of Svyatoslav Nikolaevich at the entrance so that people would understand what the action was about. One grandmother kneeled before the portrait and said, “Lord, thank you for helping from there!”, recalls the widow Irene Fedorova.



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Such wonderful doctors as Svyatoslav Nikolayevich Fedorov They are very rare, but the memories of them live in the hearts of thousands of those who managed to save their health.

Being a doctor is an honorable and very responsible business. If you have already chosen medicine, it is for life. Earlier we talked about the 94-year-old gynecologist Skachedub Rosa Gavrilovna, who still accepts patients. They also talked about the hard work of anesthesiologist-resuscitator Vladimir Laishevtsev. How can you not admire such people?