Professor Iakiv Fishchenko — Endoscopic Surgery for Spinal Disc Herniation
Professor Iakiv Fishchenko is a spine surgeon at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine. He specialises in the surgical treatment of intervertebral disc herniation using modern endoscopic techniques.
Over the past eight years, Professor Fishchenko has personally performed more than 3,000 endoscopic spine procedures and currently performs more than 400 such procedures annually. In his practice, every disc herniation operation is performed exclusively endoscopically, without exception.
Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery — BESS
Professor Iakiv Fishchenko uses only Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery, or BESS, for disc herniation removal.
The operation is performed through two small portals: one for the endoscope and video camera, and the other for surgical instruments. This provides a wide view of the surgical field, independent instrument movement and direct removal of the herniated fragment under continuous visual control.
With BESS, Professor Fishchenko treats different types of disc herniation, including extruded, sequestered, migrated and recurrent herniations following previous surgery. All endoscopic spine procedures are performed under general anaesthesia to maximise patient comfort.
Author of the Interactive BESS Atlas
Professor Iakiv Fishchenko is the author of an interactive atlas of Biportal Endoscopic Spine Surgery, available in Ukrainian and English.
The atlas contains 20 thematic sections and more than 130 interconnected educational resources. It covers BESS principles and equipment, core surgical techniques, endoscopic removal of different types of disc herniation, video-based clinical examples, complication prevention, postoperative recovery and rehabilitation.
The atlas is based on Professor Fishchenko’s personal experience of more than 3,000 endoscopic spine procedures over the past eight years and his current annual volume of more than 400 procedures.
Professional and Scientific Activity
Professor Iakiv Fishchenko is a Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor, physician of the highest qualification category and president of the Ukrainian Association of Endoscopic Spine Surgery. He works at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.
He is the author or co-author of more than 140 scientific publications. His research covers biportal endoscopic removal of intervertebral disc herniations, comparisons between BESS and conventional microdiscectomy, postoperative recovery and the prevention of complications.
Clinical studies involving Professor Fishchenko have associated biportal endoscopic discectomy with less blood loss, a shorter hospital stay and faster early recovery, with comparable longer-term outcomes.
He is also a co-author of a chapter on the basic principles of biportal endoscopic spine surgery in an international atlas published by Springer.