With the involvement of archival documents, the results of research performed by V.P. Demikhov and the employees of the Organ Transplantation Laboratory at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine (further -Institute) in 1969-1970 have been analyzed. At that time, under V.P. Demikhov's guidance and his personal participation, the Laboratory carried out the following developments: (1) an anatomical method of heart and lung transplantation in experiment and on human cadavers; (2) a method of revitalizing the heart and the whole human body using direct cardiac massage and a portable mechanical heart connected to auricles; (3) the method of liver transplantation in experiment and its anatomical rationale for clinical implementation in liver failure; (4) a method for assessing the function of a transplanted heart using electrocardiography; (5) the method of transplantation of the small intestine fragments; (6) a method of transplanting the pancreas, isolated or in combination with the duodenum and liver, to the renal vessels; (7) a method of replanting the cardiopulmonary complex on peripheral vessels for the treatment of terminal cardiopulmonary insufficiency, and a number of others. For experimental studies, the methods of an anatomical X-ray investigation of the main vessels and X-ray vasography of a transplanted heart were used. For heart transplantation, V.P. Demikhov's anatomical technique and biatrial Lower-Shumway technique were applied. To conduct a series of studies, V.P. Demikhov managed to attract large third-party organizations: the Krasnoyarsk Research Institute of Physics of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (creation of a mechanical heart), the Pyatigorsk Machine-Building Plant (creation of a portable thermostat to preserve revitalized organs), Central Research Institute of Tuberculosis of the Ministry of Health of the USSR (development of a method for implanting a cardiopulmonary complex to peripheral vessels), Research Institute of Poliomyelitis (operations on monkeys). We emphasize that all methods developed were recommended by the author for their implementation in clinic. A list of operations performed in the organ transplant laboratory in 1969-1970 is given. Most of the operations performed were transplantations (implanting) of the cardiopulmonary complex, isolated heart, and cadaveric heart revitalizations. It was noted that, in addition to the Research Topics included in the Working Plan of the Institute, V.P. Demikhov developed many individual, search topics, including transplantation of halves of the body, head, liver, uterus, kidney, and sternum. All of them, after their completion, were planned for implementation in the clinic.

Having reviewed the archival documents, we enlightened the results of research performed by V.P. Demikhov and the employees of the Organ Transplantation Laboratory at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute, as well as V.P. Demikhov’s life and work in 1971–1972. During those years he continued to conduct the research required, as he believed, for practical healthcare. In 1971, together with M.M. Razgulov, he proposed a method for connecting blood vessels, a method for transplanting an upper limb together with a scapula, repeated experiments previously carried out on dogs, on human corpses (revitalization of a cadaveric heart, monitoring its activity using electrocardiography, implanting an additional heart into the cadaver’s chest in order to implement the technique in clinic for the treatment of heart failure), presented the results of his research at the X International Congress on Cardiovascular Diseases. We have also shown that in 1971–1972 V.P. Demikhov performed 76 experimental interventions, most of which were aimed at the development of a technique for transplanting an isolated cardiopulmonary complex and heart, as well as the technique for their revitalization. It should be noted that all the methods of organ transplantation developed by him were intended for implementation in clinic. However, no method was introduced into clinic during his lifetime. The fact is that the studies of V.P. Demikhov in the field of organ transplantation could not be adequately supplied from the material, technical and economic point, since they did not correspond to the main trends of the scientific and practical activities of the N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute – to improve the organizing system of rendering an emergency and urgent care to the population of Moscow in acute diseases and injuries.

The Russian Journal of Transplantation ИСТОРИЯ МЕДИЦИНЫ ИСТОРИЯ МЕДИЦИНЫ HISTORY OF MEDICINE ФЕНОМЕН ДЕМИХОВА. Трансплантация сердца в эксперименте и клинике в СССР и за рубежом (1968-1972 гг.) Вторая в СССР операция пересадки сердца в клинике (Г.М. Соловьев, 10 июня 1971 г.