Top Global Heart Surgeons Urge Ukraine’s Leaders to Protect Children’s Cardiac Center

International Heart Surgeons Speak Out

According to Главком: Leading pediatric cardiac surgeons and cardiologists from around the world have sent a joint appeal to Ukraine’s president, parliament, cabinet of ministers, and health ministry. Their urgent request: to preserve the integrity of the state-run Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. This plea comes in response to a restructuring process that, according to the center’s founder, Illia Yemets, could effectively dismantle the institution.

Signatories represent prestigious medical institutions, including:

• Columbia University Medical Center (USA)
• Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (Germany)
• University College London (UK)
• University of Toronto (Canada)
• Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children (Australia)
• Seattle Children's Hospital, among others.

Notable specialists who signed the appeal include:

• Richard Jonas (USA), president of the Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society
• Emile Bacha (USA), professor of cardiac surgery at Columbia University
• René Prêtre (Switzerland), pediatric cardiac surgeon
• Martin Elliott (UK), professor at University College London
• Joachim Photiadis (Germany), director of the department for congenital and pediatric cardiac surgery at Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité
• William Williams (Canada), professor at the University of Toronto
• Timothy Cartmill (Australia), professor at the University of Sydney

American cardiologists Mark Levin, Thomas Jones, Sanford Melzer, and Bryan Murray also added their names to the statement.

Why This Medical Center Matters

Based in Kyiv and led by Professor Illia Yemets, the center is a critical facility delivering high-quality care to children with cardiovascular diseases. In their appeal, the international experts stressed that:

'The risk of losing specialized expertise contradicts global best practices and would, at the very least, be a dangerous move. The world’s top centers concentrate knowledge in a few institutions to ensure the best treatment outcomes.' - Representatives of international cardiac surgery institutions

The appeal was officially directed to Ukraine’s president, parliament, cabinet, and health ministry-underscoring both the gravity of the situation and the international spotlight on the center’s reorganization.

This development highlights the critical need to safeguard medical facilities that offer specialized care for children with severe conditions. The global backing for this institution reflects its importance not just for Ukraine, but for the worldwide medical community. In an era of knowledge-sharing and globalization, preserving expertise in a field as sensitive as pediatric cardiac surgery is vital to ensuring quality care and improving outcomes for children with heart disease.