The Department of Surgical Diseases of the Medical Faculty of Uzhgorod National University was established in September 2008 by merging the Department of Hospital Surgery, headed by Professor V.I.Rusin, and the Department of Surgery headed by Professor P.F.Sheremet. The merge of the two powerful scientific bases was well timed to coincide with the introduction into the learning process of the Medical Faculty the elements of credit modular system with "cross-cutting" teaching surgery as a discipline at the 4^th – 6^th years of study.

The Department of Hospital Surgery was established on September 1, 1948 and was actually the first surgery department at the Faculty of Medicine.

The first head of Department was Arkady Grigorovich Karavanov - MD, Professor, an outstanding figure in Ukrainian post-war medicine. He was the author of 4 books and 180 scientific publications, which saw the light in specialized medical journals.  Under his supervision there were prepared 8 MDs and 48 candidates of medical sciences. The department became the main centre of training the specialist surgeons for Transcarpathia. Arkady Grigorovich headed the Department since its establishment in 1950. The main scope of his work was abdominal surgery.

In 1950 the department was headed by Valentyn Lvovych Henkin - MD, Professor. The scientific heritage of V.L. Henkin includes more than 160 scientific publications and 4 monographs. He prepared 6 candidates of medical sciences. Heading the department for five years, he paid special attention to the problems of regenerative and reconstructive surgery of the digestive tract.

The Department of Surgery, UzhgorodNationalUniversity was founded in October 1952 and became the second surgical department of the Medical Faculty. The first head was Professor Olexandr Vasylyovych Fedynets, known since the early 30's Transcarpathian surgeon, born in the village of Irshava he was the disciple of the best surgical schools of prewar Europe. In 1955 the surgical departments of the Medical Faculty were merged into one Department of Surgery. For the longest period (1955 - 1975) the department was led by Alexander V. Fedynets.

Professor O. Fedynets is the author of over140 scientific publications, he was elected an honorary member of the Purkinje’s Czechoslovak Medical Society and the Society of Gastroenterology of Czechoslovakia. He brought up a pleiad of the Transcarpathian surgeons, prepared candidates and doctors of medical sciences. The staff of the Department, in addition to educational activities, began to develop the endemic issue of goiter pathology treatment in Transcarpathia. It was due to their effort that such severe complications as children’s cretinism and adult giant goiter were overcome. The department studied peptic ulcer and 12 duodenal ulcer, paying special attention to the complications - bleeding and perforation. Many years of work are reflected in two books edited by Professor O.V.Fedynets titled " Goiter Disease and its Prevention" (1955), "Acute Complications of Gastric Ulcer and 12 Duodenal Ulcer" (1966).

In 1959, the Department  of Surgery was decoupled again, it was headed by Associate Professor Petro Onysymovych Isayev.

The scientific achievement of P.O.Isayev includes more than 120 scientific publications and two candidates of science. Most of the research was devoted to the treatment and prevention of postgastroresection syndromes. Much attention was paid to the development of emergency surgery, thoracic and vascular surgery, urology.

The staff of the Department developed the current issues of surgery of the gastrointestinal tract. It was at that time that the Regional Scientific Society of Surgeons of Transcarpathia was created, in which the members of the department actively participated.

From 1966 to 1978 the department of surgery was headed by candidate of medical science, Associate Professor Yuriy Grygorovych Tarapon. He devoted his research to the problems of pulmonary surgery, and contributed to the development of this area in Transcarpathia.

The staff of the Department paid much attention to methodological work, published a series of teaching materials, conducted intensive work on thoracic and vascular surgery, "acute abdomen" surgery and scientific work.

From 1978 to 1990, the department of surgery was headed by MD Stepan Stepanovych  Dolgosh. During this period, the Department moved to a new base of Uzhgorod central city hospital. The Department obtained modern diagnostic equipment, had settled in a typical clinical department building equipped with video equipment lecture halls, training rooms, and a laboratory. The clinical basis of the Department were the first and the second surgical departments with 90 beds, the Traumatological Department, Intensive Care unit, operating rooms. All this enriched the possibility of teaching surgery at the bedside, in operating rooms.

In 1990, the department of surgery was headed by MD Professor Petro Fedorovych  Sheremet, who specializes in the topical areas of surgery: the problems of traumatic shock, hepatobiliary surgery and microsurgery of the lymphatic system. The main scientific concern of the department is detoxification of the body during surgical diseases.

Professor P.F. Sheremet published over 160 scientific papers, one monograph, received two patents for inventions and filed more than 20 innovations. He supervised the PhD thesis of Y.S.Shpryaha, assistant professor.

P.F.Sheremet was the first surgeon in Transcarpathia to  implement in practice the microsurgical methods of  treatment linb lymphedema as lymph venous and venous anastomoses, he applied laser irradiation and endolymphatic therapy for peritonitis.

Turning to the history of the Department of Hospital Surgery - from 1975 to 1981 it was headed by Mykhaylo Bizilya - candidate of medical science, associate professor, specializing in neurosurgery. On this subject he has published more than 50 scientific papers.

The traditions of the department were well preserved by MD, Professor Mykhaylo Mykolayovych Polazhynets (1981-1987). M.M.Polazhynets is the author of 120 scientific publications. The scope of his scientific research included surgical gastroenterology.

In 1987 the department of hospital surgery was headed by MD, Professor Ivan Olexandrovych Kovalchuk, who published about 200 scientific works and five monographs prepared three candidates of medical science. The main areas of his scientific research are andrology and the treatment of the genitourinary system diseases. I.O.Kovalchuk is the author of five inventions and a number of innovations, he participated in many international seminars and symposia. He headed the department for eleven years. His successor Professor Vasyl Ivanovych Rusin headed the department in June 1998.

Without undremining the educational component of work V.I.Rusyn turned the Hospital Surgery Department into an organizational basis for improving the surgical service of the Transcarpathian region. It was due to him, that the new trends of surgery were introduced; he also prepared highly qualified professionals whose effort made the Transcarpathian surgical school known in all Ukraine. During the existence of the department there have been developed new methods of various surgical diseases diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Their priority is protected by the patents of Ukraine (65 in total, 18 for the last 5 years). The results of scientific research are widely implemented in practice: there have been received 68 acts of implementation, with 4 patent license agreements signed.

Professor Rusin was the first among Transcarpathian medical scientists who was awarded in 2008 the State Prize of Ukraine in the area of Science and Technology for a series of scientific works under the title "Development and implementation of modern methods of surgical treatment and prevention cirrhosis complications and portal vein diseases."

In 2009 Olexandr Boldizhar, professor of the Surgical Diseases Department, becomes the winner of the State Prize of Ukraine for a series of scientific publications entitled "Development and implementation of new methods of diagnosis and surgical treatment of pancreatic cancer."

From 1998, 33 theses have been defended, including 9 for the degree of Doctor of Science, 24 candidates of science. There nave been published 18 monographs and over 600 publications.

Progress has been made in the standardization of health care at all levels due to development and approval of the standards for surgical care in the Transcarpathian region.

The department maintains close ties and cooperates with The Russian National Research Medical University named after N.I. Pirogov, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Russian Research Centre of Surgery of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, Bakulev Scientific Center for Cardiovascular Surgery, Peoples' Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba, Kiev Research Institute of Urology and Nephrology, A. A. Shalimov National Institute of Surgery and Transplantology of the National Academy of Medical Science of Ukraine, O.Bogomolets National Medical University (Kyiv), Kharkiv Research Institute of General and Emergency Surgery, Lviv National Medical University, Zaporizhzhya State Medical University, Dnipropetrovsk Medical Academy, P. J. Šafárik University of Kosice (Slovakia), Austrian Hospital (Austria) and many other medical universities in Europe.

Within 60 years the Department of Hospital Surgery has prepared more than 5,000 specialists in general medicine. The department graduates work in many medical and educational institutions in Ukraine and abroad.

The Department has a team of 8 doctors and 13 candidates of medical sciences, among them the holders of the title "Honoured Doctor of Ukraine" prof. V.I. Ruyn, prof. Y.Y. Perersta, prof. O.O. Boldizhar, prof. V.V. Korsak, prof.P.F. Sheremet, assoc. D.V. Kryvanych.

На кафедрі працюють 8 докторів та 13 кандидатів медичних наук. Почесного звання «Заслужений лікар України» удостоєні проф. Русин В.І., проф. Переста Ю.Ю., проф. Болдіжар О.О., проф. Корсак В.В., проф. Шеремет П.Ф., доц. Криванич Д.В.

Professor V.I.Rusyn was the dean of the Medical Faculty of Uzhgorod National University, and later was the Rector of UzhNU.

Researchers of the Department are currently heading regional health service systems. Professor V.I. Rusyn is the chief surgeon of the Health Care Administration of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration, he also holds the position of the President of the Association of Surgeons of Transcarpathia; prof. O.O. Boldizhar is the dean of the Medical Faculty of Uzhgorod National University, prof. V. Korsak is the chief vascular surgeon in the Department of Health Care of the Transcarpathian Regional State Administration, assoc. S.M. Chobey is the chief proctologist of the Health Care Administration; associate N.M.Rishko is the head of the Regional Association of Otorhinolaryngologists.