Ukraine Surgeon Operates On Soldiers All Day Long

Petro Nikitin is the lead trauma¹ surgeon at a military hospital in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. The 59-year-old doctor works to repair the bodies of some of the most badly injured soldiers.

"I only operate," Nikitin said as his team continued surgery on a patient. "I do nothing else in my life now."

Nikitin said he lives by himself because his wife and children have left the country.

Experts estimate more than 100,000 Ukrainian troops have been killed or wounded since Russia invaded the country almost 15 months ago.

Fighting has been very fierce in recent weeks around the eastern city of Bakhmut. It is the war's longest and bloodiest² battle. Ukrainian forces recently took back more territory from the Russians.

A major Ukrainian counteroffensive is expected in coming weeks. More people are likely to end up in Nikitin's hospital.

Like other Ukrainian military hospitals, it lacks enough workers because doctors were pulled away to work in field hospitals closer to the fighting. The Associated Press agreed not to identify the Kyiv hospital for security reasons.

The day after Russian troops invaded, Nikitin organized an online training on combat³-related injuries.

"Every one of us had relevant experience before the invasion, but not in such volume," Nikitin said.

But during the war, he has become familiar with a range of serious injuries. Explosive weapons often harm many parts of the body at the same time.

"We receive people with damaged legs, chests, stomachs and arms all at once," Nikitin said. "In such cases, we have to decide what part of the injury should be our priority⁴."

The military hospital is one of several in Kyiv. As a top-level trauma center, it receives the most complex cases.

"We don't save lives. That's done by the medics," he said. "What we try to do is return these people to a normal life."

The most difficult wounds are ones that involve damage to soft tissue, bone and the structures that connect nerves and veins⁵, Nikitin said. Sometimes they are forced to remove a soldier's arm or leg. He said the decision to remove a body part is always very difficult.

Nikitin usually gets to the hospital at 7:45 in the morning. He stays until the work is done. Sometimes he does not leave until 11 at night.

Russian and Ukrainian armies are both preparing for possible spring offensives⁶. So Nikitin's work schedule has lightened to about three surgeries a day.

Nikitin recently operated on a soldier named Mykyta. He is from Bakhmut. He was wounded in the lower leg while fighting for his hometown.

"It's the city where I spent my childhood, and the city is destroyed," he said from his hospital bed.

Compared with the trauma suffered by some patients, Mykyta's wound did not look so severe. But he still might lose his lower leg, Nikitin said.

Attempts to graft⁷ skin over the wound were unsuccessful. Doctors recently tried again.

Nikitin said he felt hopeful after Mykyta's surgery. But he added it would take three weeks to know whether the latest skin graft worked.

Mykyta is also missing 20 centimeters of bone, which Nikitin will need to deal with if the graft is successful. The bone treatment will take more than half a year.

"In seven months, I can tell you if he will ever walk again," Nikitin said.

Words in This Story

trauma — n. a serious injury to a person's body

surgeon — n. a doctor who performs operations that involve cutting into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts

combat — n. active fighting especially in a war

relevant — adj. relating to a subject in an appropriate way

volume — n. an amount of something

priority — n. something that is more important than other things and that needs to be done or dealt with first

medic — n. a member of the military whose job is to provide emergency medical care to soldiers who have been wounded in battle

schedule — n. a plan of things that will be done and the times when they will be done

graft — n. a piece of skin, muscle, or bone that is attached to a part of the body to repair a damaged area

1 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

2 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

3 combat   

n.战斗，斗争，格斗；vt.与...斗争，与...战斗

参考例句：

• The police are now using computers to help combat crime.警方现在使用电脑打击犯罪活动。
• A reporter interviewed the combat hero.记者访问了这位战斗英雄。

4 priority   

n.优先处理的事，居先，优先（权）

参考例句：

• The development of the national economy is a top priority.发展国民经济是应予以最优先考虑的事。
• Things should be taken up in order of priority.办事应有个先后次序。

5 veins   

n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理

参考例句：

• The blood flows from the capillaries back into the veins. 血从毛细血管流回静脉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I felt a pleasant glow in all my veins from the wine. 喝过酒后我浑身的血都热烘烘的，感到很舒服。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 offensives   

进攻，攻势( offensive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You can figure on losing about a fifth of your force in counter offensives. 反击战的兵力消耗须以不超过五分之一为度。
• They haven't enough troops or material to run two major offensives at the same time though. 然而他们没有足够的军队和物资同时发动两次大进攻。

7 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。