Henry Marsh wrote in to tell us about the difficulties that his friend Igor Kurilets has been dealing with since filming on The English Surgeon ended, and shares his thoughts on Ulyana. Filmmaker Geoffrey Smith provides a brief update on Marian Dolishny, the patient who underwent awake brain surgery in the film.
Since The English Surgeon was filmed, Igor Kurilets’ professional situation in Ukraine has remained difficult and precarious. Ukraine is still struggling to escape its past as part of the Soviet monolith. The concept of civilized competition between professionals is an unfamiliar one. Kurilets’ professional rivals — other neurosurgeons in Ukraine — have devoted more time and energy to trying to destroy his reputation and medical practice than to trying to equal or outperform his remarkable achievements. He suspects that his contract with the Lipska Street Hospital, where he runs his not-for-profit clinic, will not be renewed at year’s end, partly because the director of the hospital, who was a supporter of his, has retired.
A criminal investigation of Kurilets was begun recently. It regards an operation carried out under his supervision 17 years ago, while he was still working in the state sector. The accusation is clearly absurd, not only because the operation was performed 17 years ago, but also because 17 years ago he was struggling to perform surgery under appalling conditions at the state emergency hospital.
Kurilets has no doubt that this investigation of his “crime” is a preemptive attempt by his rivals to discredit him before the film is shown more widely in Ukraine. (The film has already been screened at two Ukrainian film festivals, where it was rapturously received.) Since the film shows the Ukrainian medical system in a critical light, Kurilets will inevitably make many enemies, who will undoubtedly accuse him of being unpatriotic. This is ironic, given Kurilets’ deep love for his country.
Kurilets hopes to build his own hospital, but his plans have been postponed due to the current economic crisis, which has hit Ukraine especially severely. When I spoke to Kurilets recently, he sounded as determined as ever, though I know he has been through some black times of late. I continue to go to Ukraine on a regular basis and will continue to do so for as long as Kurilets feels that I can help him and his patients.
— from Henry Marsh
Seven months after we filmed Ulyana in Kyiv, I saw her and her family again at Igor’s clinic. I did not recognize her at first, since her appearance had changed utterly — as I had predicted, although I had not realized quite how little time it would take; she had gone completely blind.
As far as I could tell she now understood her situation and she had come to terms with it, although her mother and sister found it difficult to accept that nothing could be done. It was a very painful meeting. It is not easy to tell patients, or their families, that nothing can be done to save them, either in Kyiv or in London.
Igor does not know for certain what has happened to her since that last meeting, but it was quite some time ago and, sadly, I have little doubt that the rest of my predictions by now have come true as well. It is important to point out that with her particular tumor, the outcome would have been no different in the West, nor would the outcome have been different if the problem had been diagnosed at an earlier stage.
— from Henry Marsh
Marian is physically very well, but he has not been able to find a job in his home town as yet due to the economic situation. He spends most of the time working in his garden and helping Stanislav repair his house.
— from Geoffrey Smith
Talk About This
Saddened
Upon the conclusion of "The English Surgeon," I was immediately overwhelmed with questions about Ulyana. Something about her innocence, beauty, and blissful ignorance to her illness touched me very deeply. Dr. Marsh's reported that that after 7 months post diagnosis that she had deteriorated so quickly, my heart sank. A part of me hoped for her that she could have come to accept her illness over a more lengthy amount of time (they predicted 5 years) and enjoy what precious time she had left to live, before it wrecked havoc on her body. My thoughts and prayers are with her family as well as other victims of this horrible disease.
by Suzi Chaney from Dayton, OH
September 9, 2009, 2:06 PM
branch manager
As a husband who lost his wife to a brain tumor in 1990, I emphathize and sympathize will all the people in this story. There are many ups and downs to these situations, and unfortunately more are downs. I thought this film was exceptional for humanness its' and depth of charactor. To show the anger and impatience of Dr Marsh alongside his brilliance and wonderful bedside manner was great, along with the trust and hope of all the patients and their families, made for a riveting piece of work. Thank you
by Michael Murel from hartland, WI
September 9, 2009, 2:39 PM
Retiree
I was able to watch this wonderful program twice. I was totally mesmerized and saddened. These two dedicated doctors were under such hardships in so many ways. I hope and pray the Ukrainian physician soon has support from his government and his medical peers. I am in hopes that he will be able to continue this so very important work! We have visited Bulgaria on two occasions in the last couple of years and have seen so many comparable sights! We wish the best to the former "Eastern Block"!
by Marsha Abernathy from Paradise, Texas
September 10, 2009, 11:49 PM
Hopeful
I believe the biggest tragedy of health care in poor countries such as the Ukraine is the lack of knowledge about preventative health. Such information could minimize many of the tragedies depicted in The English Surgeon, especially in areas where surgical medical treatments are not an affordable option for the poor. Basic health information that could be made available to all at low cost could help reduce the incidence of malignancies as well as many other disorders. To me this is the real trajedy, because people in poor countries who do not know about alternative options are otherwise doomed to suffer tragic consequences such as those depicted in this documentary.
by Fred Pulver from Carbondale, CO
September 14, 2009, 4:28 AM
As I sat and watched that program..I was so sadden by the poverty of the area, by the the utter helplessness that I saw . I felt so very sorry for the Russian people..
I saw the saddness in the eyes of the two doctors as they discussed their work and their patients..
All I saw of the scenery was a very cold, wintery country, that was so dark, so poor, so depressed and so dreary.
I guess it was filmed during winter, because I never saw the Sun.
And I thought of what people over here asked after 9-11.."Where was God"?
In that poor Russian country where people had so very little..Where young beautiful children and adults are dying from uncurable brain tumors..I asked the same thing..
And then I saw it. I saw it the beauty of the Russian people. I saw how such a simple gesture as a box of chocolates passed around in the waiting room would get them to smile. I saw their laughs and I saw brief happiness.
I saw their determination to live and not to die. Yes they were so very deperate but they had hope, they had family, and they had a tremendous love for each other...
So now I know that God was and continues to be there with them.
I was very touched by that film, and thank those who produced it. I pray that the two doctors find the resources and strenth to continue doing God's work.
I know we take our country for granted.
We are so Blessed to live in America!
by Jz from Dallas, Texas USA
September 14, 2009, 10:18 AM
Mr
I thought the "Orange Revolution" under leader Victor Yushchenko, was going to make Ukraine a better place, & yet Dr Igor is still having problems with his counterpart's in medicine & well as the state over an operation 17 years ago which went wrong, because of primitive conditions which sadly it seems haven't got better. Someone should send a copy of this documentary to President Obama who might be able to talk with his counterpart in Ukraine & get over the message that Dr Igor should be respected as a valuable asset in that country & should be helped rather than hindered in his work. Also, there must be many a doctor or intern worldwide who could be encouraged to take a mission there fully paid by the American or home country they're from to help these people & be trained as well by the likes of Dr Marsh in the art of brain surgery & hopefully other medical professionals in other disciplines might venture there also to train other doctor/students.
There needs to be a new influx of younger medical professionals who could follow Dr Marsh in such excellent work there, & the experience there, could be invaluable for those future doctor's in their future career's where-ever they practiced. Ukraine, mostly needs a teaching hospital to begin with & an updating of medical equipment & I'm sure as hospital's in the State's & Europe update their present equipment, they could send what they're replacing to hospital's in Ukraine & other poor Eastern Countries. Something has to be done so that these patients with brain tumour's & various other medical conditions can be assessed at an earlier stage thus giving them a better chance of getting treatment's & or surgery. Future children & young people in countries like Ukraine should be given a chance like the rest of us for to have access to a medical system that has some functionality & more so they should be given a little more than "Hope" they should be given a much improved "Fighting Chance" to "Survive"!
by v.gerrard from Dublin, Ireland, doesn't apply
September 24, 2009, 10:11 PM
the chances in life
I accidentally watched the film yesterday on German TV and was overwhelmed by my feelings. So impressed by the human suffering and human greatness in mind on one side and by the terrible conditions for the patients and the doctors on the other side.
It brought back to my mind that I had a brain operation when I was a student 25 years ago. Again I feel a deep gratitude for the chances which life offered to me in addition to god's blessing and a caring family: a modern hospital, best medical treatment, excellent conditions for recovering and everywhere a supporting surrounding.
BUT: The chances to survive should not depend on the place of birth. I pray for Henry March and Igor Kurilets that their efforts will be rewarded by improvements in the medical system which allows all doctors to work together in peace and appreciation. And thanks to Geoffrey Smith for his touching film.
by Julia from Hamburg, Germany
November 19, 2009, 4:32 PM