Department of Topographic Anatomy and Operative Surgery

The department was established in the year 1925 and was initially led by Professor G.A. Mirza-Avagyan from 1925 to 1928.

Professor R.O. Yolian, who was the President of the Armenian Society of Surgeons and a Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, then took over as head of the department from 1928 to 1930.

Professor K.A. Petrosyan became the head of the department in 1930 and continued this role until 1959.

From 1959 to 1983, the department was led by Professor A.J. Chagharyan.

The department was then led by Associate Professor M.I. Hovhannisyan from 1983 to 1991.

Presently, Professor S.L. Orduyan serves as the head of the department since 1994. Under his leadership, the teaching-experimental theater of the department has gained new momentum and popularity in the educational process and the work of educational and student scientific groups. The students’ work in the teaching-experimental operating room has significantly contributed to the shaping and improvement of their practical skills. These efforts have led to the establishment of the “Lanzette” international students’ scientific platform and the “School of Young Surgeons” in collaboration with the University’s “Career Center.”

The department maintains high teaching standards and offers course in three languages: Armenian, Russian and English. The course is taught to second-year stomatolgy students for one semester and to second and third-year general medicine students for two semesters, including both lectures and practical classes. The teaching process includes both theoretical knowledge and practical skills training, utilizing various modern didactic materials such as educational models, surgical suture materials, and educational films. The department pays special attention to students’ work in the educational operating room, providing opportunities for improving practical skills through intra-university and international Olympiads.

Since the 2022-2023 academic year, the department has been using a multicomponent assessment system.

The evaluation components are the following:

1.Check of the practical skills – at most 10% (1 unit)

2.Current responses of students – at most 4% (0.4 units) (4 oral responses within the course, 0.1 unit for each one)

3.One final oral quiz with tickets – at most 6% (maximally 0.6 units) (3 questions in each one 0.2×3), which includes performance of the didactic material.

4.Final written test work – at most 80% (maximally 8 units)

The department prioritize students’ educational-research work and the teaching of practical skills. The student scientific group plays a vital role in this area, and the department collaborates closely with the Scientific Research Center of YSMU.

Currently, a research project titled “The role of polyamines in the healing process of aerobic-purulent skin wounds induced under experimental conditions” with active participation of students from scientific groups is on-going in the department to study the effect of the drug mixture “Eflornithine” (“Armenicum” + DFMO) on an animal model of aerobic-purulent skin wounds induced under experimental conditions.

The Department of Topographic Anatomy and Operative Surgery at Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi works closely with the Department of Topographic Anatomy and Operative Surgery at the First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov (MSU) as well as the Topographic Anatomy and Operative Surgery and Normal Anatomy department at Chuvashia State University to conduct practical training and prepare lecture materials. Discussions are carried on issues related to conducting lectures and practical classes, with a focus on teaching practical skills such as experimental surgeries, suturing moulages, and other surgical skills.