Specialist-expert of the Ministry of Health Ilgar Gasimov: more than 250 operations were performed on our veterans seriously wounded in the Great Patriotic War

The Second Karabakh War, which began on September 27 last year and is called the Patriotic War, ended with the complete victory of Azerbaijan and the restoration of its territorial integrity. But for doctors, especially orthopedists, it continues and, unfortunately, will continue for many years. Bone tissue, like the lizard's tail, often has a unique ability - self-healing. But at the same time, it takes a long time for bone tissue to recover. Therefore, from an economic point of view, orthopedics is a financial field that requires patience from both the patient and the doctor. Today, our team of orthopedists continues to work actively with the YASHAT Foundation. So, this year, more than 250 operations were carried out on our veterans who were seriously wounded in the Great Patriotic War. I served on the front lines as a doctor during the First Karabakh War, the events of January 20, and the 44-day Patriotic War, and I still do. Doctors sometimes do not have more than a minute to decide on an operation. We have experienced them. We did more than 20 surgeries in one day and only 2 hours of sleep. It was a very difficult day. We worked hard for the wounded veterans for the homeland. In addition, every day we receive enough complaints from veterans of the Second Karabakh War about post-traumatic bone defects, paw-hand curvature, non-joining of fractures (delayed fracture consolidation), which we are working hard to help, and we will continue to help.

According to you, what steps should be taken to prepare for wars in the field of traumatology at any time? What is the difference between war injuries and other injuries?

- There is not much that people can do in the face of the damage that modern weapons can do to the human body. There are profound differences between non-combat injuries and combat injuries. The damage done by war wounds is not the same as the simple soft tissue injuries that can be seen every day. In addition, working conditions in war are very different. In emergency interventions, physicians and nurses must receive special training and learn to behave calmly in times of crisis in order to find solutions to limited opportunities and lack of time and to make the most appropriate treatment decision.

Wounds of war are relatively different from trauma in civilian practice; almost all of them are dirty wounds. Bullet and shrapnel wounds can cause massive damage to vital organs, bones and soft tissues. Infection is a great danger and the rules of septic surgery apply. In civilian practice, no piece of damage can be compared to shrapnel, traumatic amputation caused by a mine, or traumatic impact of a military rifle bullet that produces a high kinetic energy transfer.

The structure of the weapons, protective body armor and any delay in transport will aggravate the injury. During the war, a real situation arises and the effects are felt seriously. The area where the war took place; environments where stress is intense, demands are high, and clinical applications are automated.

How important is first aid?

- First aid and rapid evacuation are vital in the safest area at the site of injury or near the battlefield, and delays increase mortality and complications. If first aid is inadequate or inappropriate, or if the evacuation chain is long, the nature of the event will decide what the outcome will be. However, as the evacuation time increases, hospital deaths decrease, when there are very long delays, the seriously injured die long before they reach the hospital, and surgeons spend most of their time with surviving septic complications. Unlike the First Karabakh War, the improvement of road infrastructure in Azerbaijan over the past 30 years, the construction of new airports, has facilitated and accelerated the evacuation of the wounded in the Second Karabakh War.

Today, it is our sacred duty to serve the glorious sons of the Motherland who fought heroically and were wounded on the battlefield for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. We respect all our martyrs and are grateful to each of them for an unforgettable victory!