Vahe Yavryan | «ARABKIR» JOINT MEDICAL CENTER & INSTITUTE OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH

Phone

010 23 00 96
015 400 300 /12 09/
010 23 68 83 /10 65/

Vahe Yavryan

Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon

Head of Pediatric Orthopedic Department

Education:
Research Fellowship   2001-2004
Research topic: “Comparison of different methods of clubfoot treatment”
Children’s Clinical Hospital N1 of the Yerevan State Medical University
Yerevan, Armenia
Residency in Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology   1998-2001
Children’s Clinical Hospital N1 of the Yerevan State Medical University
Yerevan, Armenia
Yerevan State Medical University after Mkhitar Heratsi   1991-1998
Yerevan, Armenia
Medical Doctor Degree
Diploma in Pediatrics

Professional Experience:
Head of Pediatric Orthopedic Department   Sep, 2017
“Arabkir” Joint Medical Centre
Institute of Child and Adolescent Health
Yerevan, Armenia
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon   2004 -present
“Arabkir” Joint Medical Centre
Institute of Child and Adolescent Health
Yerevan, Armenia
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon   2006-2007
Department of Pediatric Orthopedics and Traumatology
Children’s Clinical Hospital N1 of the Yerevan State Medical University
Yerevan, Armenia
On-call Surgeon   1999-2006
Children’s Clinical Hospital N3
Yerevan, Armenia

Professional Training:

Neuroorthopaedic Diseases Clinical and Scientific Training Course 2016

Neuroorthopaedic Uni, Pediatric Orthopaedics,

University Children՚s Hospital of Basel, Switzerland

Ponseti Training Course 2012

Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa, USA

EPOS - Instructional Courses on Paediatric Orthopaedics 2007-2009

Vienna-Helsinki-Marseille-Tel-Aviv

Certificates of completion of all 4 courses

Dega Pre-Meeting Course   2008
EPOS 27th Annual Meeting
Warsaw, Poland
Hip Sonography   2007
Training course and fellowship
Stolzalpe, Austria
Clubfoot and DDH   2006
Training course and fellowship
Balgrist University Hospital
Zurich, Switzerland
Pediatric Orthopedic Spine Surgery   2004
Training course
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Tampa, Florida, USA

Public Presentations:

“Introduction of Ponseti Method for Treatment of 2014 May

Congenital Clubfoot in Armenia”
Oral presentation

VI Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopedic Surgeons of Armenia Yerevan, Armenia

“Comparison of congenital clubfoot treatment by   2010   Oct.
dynamic and traditional methods in children”
Oral presentation
Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopedic Surgeons of Armenia
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
“New design of clubfoot brace”   2007   Dec.
Oral presentation
EPOS – Instructional Courses on Pediatric Orthopedics
First Section, Vienna, Austria
“Triple arthrodesis for the treatment of severe foot deformity”   2006   Sept.
Oral presentation
IV Congress of Trauma and Orthopedics
Tsaghkadzor, Armenia
“Clubfoot brace”   2005   Sept.
Oral presentation
SICOT meeting
4th International Clubfoot Congress
Istanbul, Turkey
“Treatment of residual forefoot adduction in children with   2003   Sept.
triples equinovarus”
Oral presentation
2nd International Young Medics Conference
Yerevan, Armenia

Social Activities/Membership:
The American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM)
Member   2019
European Pediatric Orthopedic Society (EPOS)   2010
Member
Open Medical Club NGO   2008
(Public Health, Cancer Prevention)
President of NGO
Armenian Orthopedic Society   2007
Member
Associations of Pediatric Surgeons and Anesthesiologists   1999

of Armenia
Member

Languages:

Armenian - native

Russian – excellent

English – good

Computer literacy

References:

Garen Koloyan, MD, PhD

Member of POSNA, EPOS

Head of Orthopedics and Traumatology Department, “Arabkir” Joint Medical Centre,

30 Mamikoniants str., 0014 Yerevan, Armenia

Tel: +374 10 236883, +374 91 432289

e-mail: [email protected]

Max Aebi, MD, DHC, FRCSC
Professor University of Bern and Mc Gill University

Former Chairman Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,

Mc Gill University, Montreal, Canada

Institut fՖr Evaluative Forschung in Medizin,

Medizinische FakultՊt, UniversitՊt Bern,

MEM Stiftungsprofessor

Stauffacherstrasse 78

CH-3014 Bern, Switzerland

Tel. +41 031 631 59 32
Fax +41 031 631 59 31

e-mail: [email protected]

Kenneth Guidera, MD, PhD
Chief of Staff, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon

Shriners Hospitals for Children

2025 East River Parkway

Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA

Tel: 612 596 6186

e-mail: [email protected]

Jose A. Morcuende, MD, PhD
CEO/Medical Director

Ponseti International

100 Carver College of Medicine

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa 52244

Tel: 1 855 766 7384

e-mail: [email protected]

List of Scientific Publications:

1. Mhoyan G.Kh., Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V: “The surgical treatment of clubfoot in children” Materials of the scientific conference “Urgent Problems of Traumatology and Orthopedics” Nigni Novgorod 2001; pp 328-329.

2. Mhoyan G.Kh., Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V. “Complications after clubfoot surgery in children”. Materials of the 3-rd Congress of orthopedists and traumatologists Republic of Armenia. October 11-13, 2002; “Vestnik Khirurgii Armenii” 4/2002, pp.103-107.

3. Yavryan V.V. “The conservative treatment of clubfoot in children”. Materials of the 3-rd Congress of orthopedists and traumatologists Republic of Armenia. October 11-13, 2002; “Vestnik Khirurgii Armenii” 4/2002, pp.119-122.

4. Mhoyan G.Kh., Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V. “Stabilization of lower extremities in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta using Shiffeld telescopic intramedullary rods”. Materials of Pan Armenian International Surgical Congress, Yerevan 2003; pp. 203.

5. Mhoyan G.Kh., Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V: “The surgical treatment of congenital clubfoot in children”. Materials of Pan Armenian International Surgical Congress, Yerevan 2003; pp. 258-259.

6. Yavryan V.V. “The treatment of the residual forefoot adduction in children with talipes equinovarus”. 2-nd International Young Medics Conference. Yerevan, September 26-28, 2003; pp. 106-107.

7. Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V., Avakyan A.M. “Different types of orthosis in treatment of congenital clubfoot”. Materials of the 26-th Conference of Pediatrics Orthopedists and Traumatologists in Moscow. Moscow 2003; pp. 25-26.

8. Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V., Tekgezian A.; “A unique design for a clubfoot brace”. Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of ACPOC. Poster #6. March 24-27, 2004 Banff, Alberta, Canada.

9. Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V., Tekgezian A.; “Clubfoot brace”. The 4th international clubfoot congress. September 5 and 6, 2005; Paper #24.
10. Yavryan V.V. ‘Treatment of full relapse of congenital talipes in senior age group children”. Collected scientific articles of University Clinics’ research fellows. Dedicated to 75th anniversary of Yerevan State Medical University. Yerevan, 2005, pp. 119-121.

11. Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V., Antaranyan A.V.; “Distal hamstrings lengthening for knee flexion contracture in patients with cerebral palsy”. East European and Mediterranean Meeting on Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine. Warsaw, Poland, June 8-10, 2006; “Advances in rehabilitation’, Suppl. 4(June 2006), pp. 43-44.

12.   Yavryan V.V. “Triple Arthrodesis for the treatment of severe foot deformity”. Materials of the 4-th congress of trauma and orthopedic surgeons of Armenia. Yerevan, 2006. pp. 99-100.
13.   Koloyan K.A., Yavryan V.V. “Triple pelvic osteotomy for the treatment of hip dysplasia”. Second international medical congress of Armenia. Yerevan, Jun 28-30, 2007. pp. 187-188.
14.   Koloyan K.A, Yavryan V.V, Antaranyan A. et al. “Hip sonography as a screening method for detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns”. Materials of the Congress of traumatologists and orthopedic surgeons of Armenia with international participation, 2010 Yerevan – Tsaghkadzor, pp. 44-47.

15. Koloyan K.A, Yavryan V.V, Antaranyan A. et al. “Dega pelvic osteotomy for the treatment of acetabular dysplasia in children”. Materials of the Congress of traumatologists and orthopedic surgeons of Armenia with international participation, 2010 Yerevan – Tsaghkadzor, pp. 207-209.

16. Koloyan K.A, Yavryan V.V, Antaranyan A. et al. “Comparison of congenital clubfoot treatment by dynamic and traditional methods in children”. National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, Medicinski Vestnik Erebouni, 2010: 3(43) pp.245-250

17. Koloyan K, Yavryan V, Antaranyan A. et al. “Correction of angular deformities of lower limbs in children using directed growth of bones” VI Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopedic Surgeons of Armenia, Yerevan, 2014, pp. 130-132.

18. Aebi M, Antaranyan A, Koloyan K, Yavryan V, Khachatryan H. “Surgical treatment of congenital scoliosis” VI Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopedic Surgeons of Armenia, Yerevan, 2014, pp. 146-147.

19. Yavryan V, Koloyan K., Antaranyan A, et al. “Introduction of Ponseti method for treatment of congenital clubfoot in Armenia” VI Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopedic Surgeons of Armenia, Yerevan, 2014, pp. 148-150.

This video from news.am discusses congenital clubfoot and hip joint dysplasia, the most common pathologies in pediatric orthopedics. Vahe Yavryan, the head of the Orthopedics and Traumatology department of the “Arabkir” medical center, presents details about these conditions. The two most common conditions in pediatric orthopedics are congenital clubfoot and hip joint dysplasia. According to statistics, the incidence of clubfoot is 1.5 in 1000 newborns. About 40 children are born with hip joint dysplasia, where the joint does not develop properly, and 2 are born with complete joint dislocation. In recent years, significant advancements have been made in the approaches to addressing these two problems, which help prevent disabilities in children. Vahe Yavryan, the head of the Orthopedics and Traumatology department of the “Arabkir” medical center, explains that in the case of clubfoot, children used to undergo several surgeries, and 15 percent of them were disabled for the rest of their lives. However, everything changed in the 2000s when the Ponseti method was introduced. This method was brought to Armenia by Vahe Yavryan himself in 2012 after studying at Iowa University at the workplace of its author, Ignacio Ponseti, and then returning to the “Arabkir” medical center. “The Ponseti method is a special casting technique that must be performed exactly as described. Its effectiveness has been proven through the treatment of millions of children with clubfoot. Following this, the second stage involves a subcutaneous tenotomy of the achilles tendon. This stage is necessary for 95 percent of children with clubfoot. Subsequently, the third stage requires children to wear braces. In Armenia, “Iowa” braces are used. While there are other types of braces available, the “Iowa” brace was designed by the University of Iowa. These three components of treatment are equally vital. In other words, it cannot be stated that minor surgery, casting or the brace is more important: the combination of these elements produces the result we have today,” says doctor Yavryan. Thanks to this method, no child in Armenia has undergone complex surgery since 2012, and no child has suffered from disability due to clubfoot. “Now we consider the sole, which not only rests on its entire surface but also retains its functionality and the range of movements in joints, as a significant treatment outcome. I always tell parents that if we adhere to the protocol, and if you want your child to play football, they can play football with that sole” he says. Vahe Yavryan also points out that parents themselves can easily diagnose clubfoot: the sole cannot be straightened by hand. “Congenital clubfoot is a 4-component deformity that cannot be corrected with simple hand movement. The problem lies in the connective tissue and, most of the time, in the shortness of ligaments, leading to the dislocation and subluxation of the bones that make up the sole. It is impossible to confuse this with positional problems, which may be present in the prenatal stage and can be easily corrected by hand. I typically tell my students that there’s no need for a doctor to diagnose clubfoot because it’s such a visible deformity that parents can notice after childbirth. If the deformity is fully corrected by hand, it means it’s not a congenital clubfoot” says the pediatric traumatologist. The doctor presents a complex clinical case: recently, a 5-year-old child was admitted to the hospital who had not received any treatment for clubfoot. “It was unusual for us that the child had not received any treatment before. Previously, it would have been difficult to imagine that a 5-year-old clubfoot could be treated with casting. However, as we are familiar with the literature and know that the Ponseti method is used not only for newborns, and there are articles about 10 year olds, so we decided to treat the child using this method. The child received 7 casts, after which we performed a subcutaneous tenotomy of the Achilles tendon and now the child is wearing orthosis. The results were satisfying. We have a sole that rests on the entire surface and is quite functional for a 5-year-old untreated case” he says. And what are dysplasia and dislocation of the hip joint? The doctor mentions that there is a misunderstanding about the dislocation of the hip joint, as it is a result of birth. In reality, it is a congenital problem: dysplasia or underdevelopment of the joint, and the last stage being the dislocation. “This has been a significant issue for orthopedics because the clinical examination and symptoms that we knew and still know, allowed us to diagnose the children who were born with joint dislocation and therefore, severely limited diagnosis those children who were born with dysplasia. In addition to clinical examination we had an alternative - X-ray, which did not allow us to make a diagnosis. From the 1960s-70s, sonographic examination of hip joints in newborns began to be applied and was eventually introduced by Austrian Professor Graf. Later it was accepted by the medical community as a proven diagnostic method and is now considered the gold standard of diagnosis” the specialist says. Vahe Yavryan studied under Graf in Austria and then tested the method for a year in one of the maternity hospitals in Yerevan. After long-term collaboration with the Ministry of Health, ultrasound screening for hip joint issues was introduced in Armenia as part of the nationwide newborn screening program. Doctor Yavryan takes pride in noting that not all European countries have such screening programs. Thanks to the program, today in Armenia, children with disabilities caused by this problem are a rare occurrence. “The method has very high accuracy, approximately 99.9 percent. It allows us to detect even the smallest underdeveloped hip joint and take appropriate measures so that the child receives treatment in a timely manner. In 2007, according to official data, every year in the Republic of Armenia, we had 20 children who became 1st degree disabled due to dislocation or developmental dislocation of the hip joint. This is why the disability rate in our country was the highest. When I was just starting, my teacher performed open surgeries on nearly 30 children. To understand the changes that the screening has brought to our country, I can say that last year, there were only 4 cases due to hip joint dislocation. There is a golden rule, according to which we have early and late diagnosis. Early diagnosis is made within the first 3 months of the problem. When we initiate the treatment at that time, we can determine if it’s dysplastic or dislocated, and the probability of achieving an anatomically good, functional joint is 98 percent throughout one’s entire life,” says Yavryan. At the “Arabkir” medical center, parents are provided with a special information sheet that provides detailed guidance on caring for a child with hip joint dysplasia to prevent joint dislocation.