Ukrainian surgeon becomes honorary member of US Cardiac Surgeons’ Society, recognized in top 100 for congenital heart defect expertise

Illia Yemets, a Ukrainian cardiac surgeon, has been recognized as one of the top 100 specialists in the world for treating congenital heart defects. He has also been made an honorary member of the US Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society (CHSS).

According to Ukrinform, the Center for Children's Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery of the Ministry of Health reported this.

During the award ceremony in Chicago, CHSS President David Overman showed his support for Yemets, recognizing not just his professional accomplishments but also his bravery during times of war.

"His dedication and perseverance are a source of inspiration for Ukrainian doctors," Overman said.

The Ukrainian doctor became the sixth European in this professional community.

"The first operations for congenital heart defects were done in America (in 1945), and the US Congenital Heart Surgeons' Society has existed for a long time, but it is quite closed and has only about a hundred recognized doctors whose institutions have achieved the best results in cardiac surgery. Most are Americans, and there are few Europeans, Asians, or Africans. So, when I received an invitation to join as an honorary member, I was truly taken aback. However, I realized the significance of this not just for myself but also for the entire field of cardiac surgery in Ukraine; the Amosov [Mykola Amosov was a famous Ukrainian surgeon – ed.] school I am a part of and young doctors. International support plays a crucial role in the recovery of the medical sector in Ukraine," Director of the Center for Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Illia Yemets said in a comment to Ukrinform.

He spoke to his American colleagues in Chicago about the current challenges facing Ukrainian medicine. He also shared his personal experience and mentioned the recent rocket attack on a cardiac center. He urged for more significant support for Ukrainian medical workers.

"When I worked as a heart surgeon at the J. Cartier hospital in Paris (1998), which had the best result in Europe regarding the number of operations on young children, they did about 1,000 operations a year, and now we do 1,800. And the mortality rate of our newborns is 20 percent lower than the mortality of newborns in all US institutions," the Ukrainian cardiologist added.

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As reported, since 2010, cardiac surgeon Illia Yemets has been a member of the European professional community of the European Congenital Heart Surgeons Association.