Prof. Dr. Silva Andonova - Director of therapeutic and diagnostic activities and Head of Second Neurological Clinic was appointed National Consultant in Interventional Neurology with Order № RD 01-13 / 12.01.2018 by the Minister of Health Kiril Ananiev. She was a National Consultant in Neurological Diseases up to now. The new National Consultant in Interventional Neurology has also been the National Representative for Bulgaria in ESO-EAST Stroke Organization Project since 2015, and the National Coordinator of SITS Registry - Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke since 2013.
The appointment of Prof. Andonova is a recognition of her exceptional contribution to the treatment of neurological diseases, to the training of interventional neurologists at the Department of Neurological Diseases and Neurosciences at MU-Varna, headed by the reputed neurologist Prof. Dr. Ara Kaprelyan, and to the leading role of University Hospital "St. Marina" in modern treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, introducing innovative therapies and improving patient care.
As a medical institution with the most extensive experience in the application of intravenous thrombolysis in the country, the initiative to create a network of stroke treatment centres was launched by University Hospital "St. Marina" and Medical University - Varna in 2015, under the leadership of Prof. Andonova. She has also participated in a working group at the Ministry of Health, together with experts from other specialties for developing and presenting a project for interventional treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Currently, beside Sofia interventional treatment of acute stroke has been performed in Varna only.
Modern treatment of cerebrovascular diseases at hospital "St. Marina" in Varna has been performed by multidisciplinary teams with excellent theoretical and practical training and synchronization between neurological diagnostics and timely neurological and neurosurgical activities. This is happening in Varna in analogy to the developed countries in health and science such as USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Japan and Germany, where we witness a rapid transition from traditional surgical methods to minimally invasive therapies. A Department for treatment of acute strokes was opened in 2013, and at the end of 2016, pursuant to an Order by the Minister of Health for the establishment of a methodology for subsidizing medical institutions, a high-tech cerebrovascular centre was established on a functional basis with an Order by the Executive Director. The most essential features of the high-tech centre are related to the organization - specially qualified staff, facilities for modern emergency tests, monitoring and treatment; profiling are required - additional qualification and continuous training in the field of emergency care and the follow-up medical and nursing care; opportunities for early rehabilitation.
The rapid progress in the field of interventional neurology and the development of minimally invasive techniques have led to a large expansion of potential therapeutic applications. The high incidence of stroke, including strokes resulting from cerebrovascular malformations, is expected to continue, and this reinforces the importance of interventional neurology and the role of well trained specialists, capable of providing quick, accurate and adequate actions in order to save patients' lives, and for a good quality of life after that.
Besides being a leading centre for treatment of cerebrovascular diseases, University Hospital "St. Marina" - Varna provides scores of highly specialized medical services and complex treatment of socially significant diseases, such as oncological, cardiological, pediatric, endocrinological and vascular diseases. The hospital has the most high tech facilities and equipment in the country for diagnostics and treatment - PET cyclotron complex scanner, two nuclear magnetic resonance imaging scanners, two angiographs, a robotic system for dissolution of cytostatic, a modern oncology and radiotherapy centre with 3 linear accelerators, a mammograph, modern pathoanatomy with immunohistochemistry and molecular-genetic analysis of tumors, 3D laparoscopic apparatus for performing precise bloodless surgery, etc.
Prof. Andonova pointed out that following the golden standards in the world medicine, creating multidisciplinary teams, equipping modern centres with state-of-the-art equipment, constant research and excellent management were the key to success not only in neurology but in hospital healthcare in general.
University Multifunctional Hospital for Active Treatment "St. Marina"- Varna is the largest diagnostic, medical and consultative university hospital complex in Northeastern Bulgaria, providing service to the population of the whole country. It has more than 1300 beds, the most modern equipment and highly qualified personnel - university lecturers, national and regional consultants. Achieving high quality is one of the major goals of the medical establishment. This is proven by the certification of University Hospital "St. Marina" - Varna in accordance with the requirements and standards for quality management (EFQM - European Foundation of Quality Management), which has been done for the first time in Bulgaria "Certificate of Quality Management". The centre for treatment of acute strokes at the hospital is the first Bulgarian centre included in SITS Registry - Safe Implementation of Thrombolysis in Stroke in 2011, and since 2016 it has been the first centre in the country registered in RES-Q - Registry of Stroke care quality.
Medical University - Varna provides excellent quality of training for doctors in highly specialized activities not only in interventional neurology but also in other specialties necessary for the creation of multidisciplinary teams.
Velina Markovska
