The General Surgery Department is coeval with the Medical Academy. According to Order No. 116 dated 1941, Associate Professor (Docent) Petr Petrovich Tsarenko was appointed to the position of the acting head of the General Surgery Department at the Kyrgyz State Medical Institute. According to this order, Associate Professor P. P. Tsarenko was assigned the obligation to immediately get to work on establishment of a propaedeutic surgical clinic and to report on the readiness to admit students of the KSMI on or before August 15, 1941

On September 1, 1941 the doors of the Propaedeutic Surgery Department were opened for the third-year students of the first enrollment of the KSMI. Together with Associate Professor P. P. Tsarenko, young surgeons I. K. Akhunbaev and Z. I. Igemberdiev were appointed as assistants. I. K. Akhunbaev, being the Deputy People’s Commissar of Health Care of the Kyrgyz SSR of those days, invited P. P. Tsarenko from Tashkent Medical Institute to lead the Department. Associate Professor P. P. Tsarenko headed the Department from 1941 to 1945 and was the only lecturer of the Department with pedagogical experience. Articles written by I. K. Akhunbaev about rectal cancer, a case of the thyroid gland sarcoma and a clinical picture of appendicitis in a child were published in the republican medical print media. Later, the issue of “Appendicitis in childhood” formed the basis for I. K. Akhunbaev’s monograph and dissertation for the degree of a Candidate of Medical Sciences (PhD in Medicine), which he defended in 1946 under the direction of A. N. Kruglov. The same year, I. K. Akhunbaev became an Associate Professor of the General Surgery Department, and in September 1946 he was appointed to be the head of the Department and was occupying this position until his tragic death on January 5, 1975.

The first employees of the General Surgery Department were fathers of the surgical science development in Kyrgyzstan. They became the foundation on which the surgical school of I. K. Akhunbaev was established. Among the talented students of I. K. Akhunbaev, his work colleagues at the General Surgery Department, one can mention remarkable surgeons and teachers, “pioneers” of surgical science in Kyrgyzstan: N. S. Androsov, S. F. Yuldasheva, O. A. Kokkozov, U. B. Baizakov, N. I. Akhunbaeva, N. F .Olifirenko, U. R. Kaliev, Sh. D. Dzhumadilov, A. S. Romanov, Kh. S. Bebezov, Dzh. N. Nurmanbetov, M. G. Finger, D. B. Bisembin, S. A Alisherov.

The General Surgery Clinic and Department considers the day of May the nineteenth, 1959, to be the birthday of cardiac surgery in Kyrgyzstan. It was that day when Academician I. K. Akhunbaev performed the first successful cardiac surgery in the Central Asian region. It was digital mitral commissurotomy for a patient suffering from cardiac failure. Surgeries on a “dry” heart required mastering of completely new technologies: artificial blood circulation, hypothermia, electrocardiostimulation, defibrillation, etc.

From 1975 to 1976 the Department was headed by B. K. Shubladze, who was a faithful friend and assistant to I. K. Akhunbaev, an excellent surgeon and Associate Professor; from 1976 to 1977 - by Professor N. I. Akhunbaeva. They had to lead the Department in a difficult period, when the team was hit with the loss of a wise leader.

In January 1977, Professor Anatoly Aleksandrovich Chervinsky was elected as the head of the General Surgery Department. He came to Kyrgyzstan from Russia, where he previously headed the thoracic surgery and anesthesiology departments (1964-1972, Novokuznetsk), and the hospital surgery department (1972-1977, Kursk). A. A. Chervinsky treated the well-established traditions of the department with due respect. While being relied on the team of professors and teaching staff and medical specialists, he maintained the main traditional scientific and research directions, but, as a highly educated progressive specialist, he gave impetus to the development of new advanced methods of research and surgical treatment, thus making a great contribution to the development of surgery in Kyrgyzstan. Under the guidance of A. A. Chervinsky, a new round of development was observed in scientific and research works in the field of thoracic surgery; new types of surgeries for bronchial asthma were introduced; low-traumatic thoracoscopic surgeries, funnel chest correction surgeries, and esophagus surgeries were mastered. At the initiative of Professor A. A. Chervinsky, the Microsurgery Department was established in 1985. In 1990, Professor A. A. Chervinsky moves to Israel for permanent residency. Within 13 years, working as the head of the General Surgery Department, A. A. Chervinsky was the academic supervisor of eight candidates (PhD) and two doctors of medical science.

From 1991 to 1996 the General Surgery Department was headed by Professor D. N. Nurmanbetov. At that time, during the period of the difficult years of “perestroika”, when relations with the countries of the former Soviet Union were broken, it was important to survive and preserve all clinical developments, the spirit, traditions and achievements of the Department.

From 1996 to 2003, the office of the head of the Department was taken by Kh. S. Bebezov, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, and Honored Doctor of the Republic. In 1996, he was elected as the head of the General Surgery, Anesthesiology and Emergency Department. Since then, the clinic received a new impetus for introduction and development of new technologies and scientific research. The science of surgical treatment of hepatic cirrhosis was successfully developing, thus allowing significant prolongation of the life of patients with this severe pathology. Surgical endocrinology was in good progress, too. Traditionally, they continued to study the problems of endemic goiter. Within this period, Professor Kh. S. Bebezov supervised thirteen candidates and two doctors of medical science.

From 2003 to 2004, Sh. M. Chyngyshpaev, Doctor of Medical Sciences, was the acting head of the Department.

From September 2004 to 2020 A.S. Beishenaliev, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Associate Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic was the head of the Department. He rose through the ranks from junior surgeon to professor of the Department. He published more than 200 research papers. During this period, scientific work was intensified, under the supervision of Professor A. S. Beishenaliev one doctoral thesis and three theses for a candidate’s degree were defended, and three doctoral and six candidate theses more were approved.

October 2020 to the present time, Zhenishbek Asanalievich Kochkonbaev, Associate Professor, Candidate of Medical Sciences (PhD) has been acting as the head of the Department. During this period, digital technologies are actively implemented at the Department. All curriculum documents are developed and reviewed in accordance with the modern requirements of the integrated education system in “online” and “offline” formats. New curricula are drawn up for newly established disciplines of Medical and Preventative Care, Medical Bioengineering faculties.  The surgery club is actively functioning, where the students can get practical knowledge and skills of basic surgery along with the advanced theoretical studies. The club members take part in intercollegiate and international surgery olympiads and take prizes. At the present time, the Department continues research in the following areas of surgery: issues of hepatic and gastrointestinal diseases, endemic and focal lesions of the thyroid gland, purulent mediastinitis, diabetic foot, vascular pathology, microsurgery and osteomyelitis in adults.

Young students of the Department make reports and presentations at international congresses and symposia. In 2022, Associate T. Dzhumabekov presented a report on the issue: “Secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients under program Hemodialysis” at the international conference of young students in Bukhara and won the first place. In March 2024, A. Zhoroev, assistant of the Department, made a presentation on the issue: “Our modification of using Radial Artery Forearm Flap for defects of hand (flap in flap)” at the Asia Pacific Society of Reconstructive Surgeons in India, New Delhi.

Employees of the Department are also actively involved in all spheres of social life of the KSMA, with winning prizes.

Just like the clinic named after I.K. Akhunbaeva is multidisciplinary, and the scientific direction of the department is diverse. Under the guidance of Professor Beishenaliev A.S. Work is being carried out in the following areas: improving the surgical treatment of osteomyelitis, surgical treatment of diseases of the pancreas, developments aimed at combating human parasitic diseases (echinococcosis, alveococcosis), studying the problems of gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, improving methods of treating purulent mediastinitis.

Currently, students can also gain knowledge about emergency and emergency operations and intensive treatment methods, because... are on duty around the clock in the departments of anesthesiology and resuscitation, plastic and reconstructive microsurgery, proctology and the department of vascular surgery. A lot of work is being done by the scientific student circle. Students' reports on various issues of surgery have repeatedly taken leading positions at scientific conferences of young scientists. The clinic is the base for graduate school and postgraduate training of surgeons and anesthesiologists of the KSMA, where clinical residents learn the art of healing over 2 years.

The department teaches students in three languages: Russian, Kyrgyz and English. Disciplines:

2nd year faculty "medical study in English":

Propaedeutic surgery

3rd year Faculty of General Medicine:

Propaedeutic surgery

3rd year faculty " medicine study in English ":

Propaedeutic surgery

3rd year faculty " medicine and preventive care ":

general surgery

3rd year Faculty of Dentistry:

general surgery

3rd year Faculty of General Medicine:

Basics of Specific Surgical Infection

3rd year faculty “elective courses medicine study in English”:

Basics of Specific Surgical Infection

All educational programs have been developed and revised in accordance with modern requirements of an integrated education system in “online” and “offline” formats. New training programs in surgery have been prepared for the newly created disciplines of the faculty “Medical and Preventive Care”, “Medical Bioengineering”. Training is carried out according to an integrated long-term program in propaedeutic surgery 2nd, 3rd year of the medical faculty of contract and budgetary training as part of the training of a general practitioner GP. New multimedia lectures on propaedeutic surgery are also used, practical classes are conducted with clinical practice. Assessment of academic performance in all courses of the medical, dental, pediatric faculties, and the faculty of MPD is carried out according to the point-rating system approved by KSMA.

In the process of training at the department, in addition to the main teaching aids, educational and methodological aids for students on propaedeutic surgery are used, created and published by the staff of the department under the editorship of. prof. Beishenaliev A.S.: Introduction to general surgery 2007; Endogenous intoxication syndrome 2009; Methods for diagnosing thrombosis of the veins of the lower extremities 2011; Desmurgy 2017; Wounds and wound process 2009; Determination of blood group 2017; Introduction to propedeutic surgery 2019; Surgical prevention of thromboembolic complications in patients with acute thrombosis of the lower extremities 2017; Blood type determination 2019; Asepsis 2019 and others.

Employees of the department actively participated in the preparation of national clinical protocols, which were introduced into practical healthcare and into the educational process for 3rd year students of the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Pediatrics, and clinical residents from the first to third years of study.

Currently, the department continues scientific research in the following areas of surgery: problems of liver and gastrointestinal tract diseases, endemic and focal lesions of the thyroid gland, purulent mediastinitis, diabetic foot, vascular pathology, microsurgery and osteomyelitis in adults.

The obtained data on osteomyelitis, pancreatic necrosis and extensive postoperative ventral hernias were introduced into the treatment process of the National Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, the National Surgical Center and in district hospitals of the Chui region. 1 doctoral dissertation and 13 candidates of medical sciences were prepared.

In total, there are more than 200 scientific works, including monographs, manuals and teaching aids for students, clinical residents and surgeons, 5 patents have been received.

To date, the department is performing 3 scientific works for the degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences and 6 scientific works for the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences.

The departments have written articles that are published in journals included in the list of Higher Attestation Commissions of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation included in the RSCI.

The staff of the department is at the stage of close collaboration and cooperation with international organizations: WHO, USAID, UNICEF and plastic surgery. With technical support from international organizations and self-financing, seminars were held for healthcare organizations of the Kyrgyz Republic and participation in symposia and conferences.

In 2022, Ass. Dzhumabekov T. made a presentation at the international conference of young scientists in Bukhara on the topic: “Secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients on program hemodialysis” and took 1st place. In March 2024 Department assistant Zhoroev A. participated in a presentation at the “Pacific-Asian Society of Reconstructive Surgeons” on the topic: “Our modification of using Radial Artery Forearm Flap for defects of hand (flap in flap)” in India, New Delhi.

Clinic named after I.K. Akhunbaeva on the basis of the National Hospital of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic

Address: st. Togolok Moldo, 1/13.