Partner 2: Universitatea de Stat de Medicina si Farmacie “Nicolae Testemitanu” (SMPHU)

Clinical Centre

The State University of Medicine and Pharmaceutics (Universitatea de Stat de Medicina si Farmacie (USMF)) „Nicolae Testemitanu" in the Republic of Moldova is a nationally accredited higher education institution, involved in the professional training at graduate and post-graduate level of medical and pharmaceutical personnel in line with international standards. SMPHU spans 56 clinical and 11 preclinical departments and the Cardiac Surgery Centre, as a part of the University Hospital (Republican Clinical Hospital, Chisinau, Moldova), is the only institution nationwide which provides cardiac surgical treatment. About 600 operations are performed annually, including 300 surgeries on adults and 300 in children with congenital heart diseases.

At the Cardiac Surgery Centre, physicians and scientists are also actively involved in research projects, including the implementation of state of the art treatment, experimental surgery and tissue engineering. They participate actively at different national and international scientific meetings and associations. About 20 scientific papers coming from this centre are published annually in national and international journals. The Cardiac Surgery Centre also collaborates closely with numerous universities and research centres across Western Europe. 

Within ESPOIR, SMPHU participates as a member of the clinical network and will implant 25 DHV for pulmonary valve replacement within the clinical trial. It contributes many years of technical and clinical experience with DHV. Professor Dr. Anatol Ciubotaru founded the department of Congenital Cardiac Surgery in the Republic of Moldova and, at present, is its clinical director, with long-standing experience in congential and acquired heart defects. He is a founding member of the World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery and has initiated partnership programs with similar hospitals in the USA, France, Israel, Germany, Romania and Italy. For his research achievements, A. Ciubotaru was awarded with the Bronze Medal, at Salon international des inventions in Geneva and Silver Medal at the Belgian international trade fair for technological innovation, both in 2008. Together with Professor Axel Haverich, Dr. Ciubotaru has been actively involved in the development and clinical implementation of tissue engineered heart valves. In 2002, the first DHV was implanted at SMPHU.

Contributors to ESPOIR 

Prof. Dr. Anatol Ciubotaru, Head of Cardiac Surgery Centre, Professor of Cardiac Surgery
Dr. Oleg Repin, Senior Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon  
Dr. Oxana Maliga, Senior Pediatrician, Expert in Echocardiography in Pediatric Patients