http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh2020168 

 

 

Commemorating the 80th birthday of Professor Josyp Saldan

TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Commemorating the 80th birthday of Professor Josyp Saldan. J.ophthalmol.(Ukraine).2020;1:68. http://doi.org/10.31288/oftalmolzh2020168

Josyp Romanovych Saldan began his working career as an ophthalmologist at the Mukolaiv Central Hospital in 1962, after graduating from Chernivtsi Medical Institute. In 1965, he entered the two-year post-graduate training program at the Filatov Institute, and underwent further post-graduate training at the institute in 1967 to 1969. After defending his Cand Sc (Med) thesis, The Diagnostic Value of Fluorescein Angiography and Ophthalmoscopy in Uveal and Retinal Inflammatory and Degenerative Disorders, in 1970, Dr. Saldan continued working for two years as a Junior Research Fellow at the institute. In 1972, he was sent to a business trip to Afghanistan, and worked as a consultant ophthalmologist at the Kabul Hospital for government employees until 1975. After coming back from Afghanistan in 1975, he continued working as a Junior Research Fellow, and, subsequently, as a Senior Research Fellow, at the Filatov institute, until 1988. Since 1988, he has been heading the Ocular Disease Department at the Pyrohov National Medical University, Vinnytsia, and was appointed as professor of the department in 2016. He defended his doctoral dissertation, Pathogenetic Features and Differential Approaches to Treatment of Early Simple vs Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy, in 1990. Forty-six residents in ophthalmology and 345 junior ophthalmologists have been trained in the department under the leadership of Prof. Saldan. In addition, eight persons have earned a degree of Master of Medicine, and nine, a degree of Candidate of Medical Science.

J.R. Saldan was the first to introduce lens implantation (1989), and novel anti-glaucoma and laser eye surgery procedures in Vinnytsia region. Professor Saldan presented his research outcomes at numerous international conferences. In addition, he is a member of Editorial boards of four national journals in the field of medicine, and member of the Kyiv special council on defending theses and dissertations. Moreover, he is the author of 25 suggestions for improvement, the author and/or co-author of 38 patents, and received a second-degree diploma from the Exhibition of Economic Achievements of Ukraine (1989).

His innovative Cand Sc (Med) thesis dealt with the introduction of fluorescein angiography into clinical practice in Ukraine and other republics of the former Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Russia and Moldova). In addition, he was the first to introduce pure sodium fluorescein into national clinical practice. The technology for production of pure sodium fluorescein was developed at Berezniki chemical factory based on the order received from him. The introduction of the developed fluorescein angiography technique into clinical ophthalmic practice allowed for advances in research on the pathogenesis of a number of ocular disorders, e.g., serous chorioretinitis. The method enabled accurate assessment of retinal vascular patency, permeability and circulation, and the state of Bruch’s membrane. The use of FA improved the accuracy of diagnosis of ophthalmic tumors and vascular disorders such as diabetic retinopathy and retinal vascular occlusion as well as outcomes of relevant patients treated with laser photocoagulation. The author was the first to develop criteria for staging of fundus inflammation based on the findings of experimental and clinical comparison studies (ophthalmoscopy, FA and histomorphology).

The doctoral dissertation of J. Saldan highlighted the pathogenetic features of simple diabetic retinopathy (DR) vs proliferative DR, and the role of immune factors in the development of proliferative DR. The dissertation author obtained FA evidence of immunoglobulin G deposits in the retina of patients with DR, and developed pathogenetic medication and laser treatment schemes for various forms of DR, and the scheme of the pathological macular changes in patients with diabetes mellitus. The findings of the dissertation studies have been introduced into practice of Ukrainian and foreign medical institutions and three papers with guidelines on detection and treatment have been published based on these findings.

J. Saldan is an active participant in the community life of the university and Vinnytsia region, where he is the current head of the Regional Ophthalmological Society. He was repeatedly awarded certificates of honor by the university and Republican Ophthalmological Society. He is Labor Veteran and received an Award for Excellence in Health Protection from the Ministry of Health of the USSR.

The range of Professor Saldan’s interests beyond his profession is great. He likes travelling and has visited almost all European countries. In addition, he is fond of playing chess, taking photos, and learning foreign languages, and speaks English, German, Polish and Farsi.

The staff of the Ocular Disease Department at the Pyrohov National Medical University, Vinnytsia, whishes the jubilee person good health and further success in research.