Bakhadyr Khakimovich Bebezov, head of the Department of Innovative Surgical Technologies at the I.K. Akhunbaev Kyrgyz State Medical Academy, was honored with this award. The diploma of the 2025 award laureate was presented to him by the Chairman of the Government of Russia, Mikhail Mishustin. Professor Bebezov was recognized for implementing a new strategy and innovative surgical methods for treating alveococcosis of the liver.
After returning from Moscow, a correspondent from VB.KG warmly congratulated Bakhadyr Bebezov on this important award on behalf of the editorial team and asked him several questions.
Professor, how long have you been studying the diagnosis and treatment of alveococcosis of the liver, which is sometimes referred to as "parasitic liver cancer" due to its ability to metastasize and recur? Why is there an increase in the incidence of this disease in Kyrgyzstan?
- The problem of alveococcosis of the liver in our country has a long history. Academician I.K. Akhunbaev and his students began studying it back in the last century. In 1966, one of the graduate students defended a dissertation on the topic of alveococcosis in the Kochkor district. More than half a century has passed since then, and the problem has become even more relevant due to the increasing number of cases.
From 2011 to 2015, we organized five scientific expeditions to remote high-altitude areas of Kyrgyzstan, where the situation with alveococcosis is most unfavorable. We also identified new foci of the disease in the Aksy and Chon-Alai districts of Osh region. Due to internal migration, the incidence is rising in Bishkek and the Chui region. In 2012, we conducted an international scientific expedition involving ten foreign scientists, which allowed us to obtain new data to prevent the spread of this disease.
We have implemented anatomical liver resections for the treatment of focal lesions. Now such operations are performed in specialized institutions in Kyrgyzstan. We have significant experience in performing liver resections in children in collaboration with the National Center for Maternal and Child Health. We use modern technologies such as ultrasonic dissection and argon coagulation.
Surgical intervention remains the only radical method for treating alveococcosis of the liver. In most cases, the disease is diagnosed at advanced stages, making radical treatment difficult. In such situations, only palliative methods are used, which do not prevent recurrences and are not effective, ultimately leading to patient disability and a decrease in their quality of life, with 90 percent of them dying within 10 years.
Bakhadyr Khakimovich, what are the features of collaborative work among scientists from Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Belarus? How effective is this work in combating alveococcosis?
- In 2015, at an international congress in Tashkent, Professor Vladimir Evgenyevich Zagaynov presented a report on liver autotransplantation for alveococcosis and introduced a new classification of the disease. This sparked a lively discussion, and after our meeting with the professor, collaboration began that has continued for 10 years.
Our international authorship team includes staff from leading medical institutions in Russia, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan, such as the A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center, the Privolzhsky Research Medical University, and others. Our team includes renowned specialists, including Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences S.E. Voskanian and Academician O.O. Rummo.
Our work represents the largest experience in the world of radical treatment for alveococcosis of the liver, including unique operations that were performed for the first time in world practice. The implementation of the new strategy has significantly increased resectability to 96.5 percent and addressed key issues related to traditional treatment methods.
Complete recovery has been achieved in 96 percent of operated patients, with a 10-year overall and disease-free survival rate of 98.3 percent and 95.8 percent, respectively. The new strategy is actively being implemented and promoted in surgical centers in Russia and other countries.
I would like to express my gratitude to the rector of KSMU Indira Orozobayevna Kudaibergenova for her support in nominating me for the award from the government of Russia. I also extend my heartfelt thanks to my colleagues from the department and the clinic of I.K. Akhunbaev National Hospital — this is our common success and the success of our medical science.
