E.N. Meshalkin (1916-1997) and its priority in the creation of the world’s first successful cavo-pulmonary anastomosis in clinic

The idea of the cavo-pulmonary anastomosis originated simultaneously with US surgeons (A. Blalock), Italy (C. Carlon), the USSR (A. Bakulev) and Hungary (F. Robiczek). The first cavo-pulmonary shunting in several modifications in the experiment were carried out by C. Carlon in the late 1949 - early 1950s. The first two unsuccessful operations in clinic were performed by the American surgeon H. Shumacker until November 1954. Priority of the first in the world series of successful operations in clinic belongs to E.N. Meshalkin (from April 3 to October 1956). In a sense, its success was due to experimental research carried out in the autumn of 1955 - in the spring of 1956 by N.K. Galankin, T.M. Darbinian and D.A. Donetsky. However, until August 1956 N.K. Galankin and his colleagues objectively were not ready to introduce the cavo-pulmonary anastomosis into the clinic. The first successful cavo-pulmonary shunt in the USA on February 25, 1958 was carried out by W. Glenn. The author's experience, his authority and publication in a prestigious journal led to the fact that the cavo-pulmonary anastomosis in literature is usually called Glenn procedure. We believe, however, that it is more correct to call it the Bakulev-Meshalkin operation or Russian anastomosis.