Maria Voloh

Maria A. Volokh
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Born	(1974-11-19) November 19, 1974 Saratov, Russia
Alma mater	I. I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University
Occupation	plastic surgeon
Known for	Head of the interdisciplinary team that performed the first facial allotransplantation surgery in Russia
Website	http://volokh.spb.ru

Maria A. Volokh (born November 19, 1974, Saratov) is a Russian plastic surgeon, Doctor of Medical Sciences, and the Head of the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the I. I. Mechnikov North-Western State Medical University. She led the Russian team that performed the nation's first facial allograft in 2015 and is the winner of the Government Prize in Science and Technology for 2021.

Biography

Maria Alexandrovna was born to a serviceman. In 1997, she graduated with honors from the I. I. Mechnikov St. Petersburg Medical Academy with a major in Medical Science. By 1999, she completed a residency in Surgery at the Department of Plastic Surgery of the St. Petersburg Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education. Subsequently, she served as the head of the Department of Surgical Dentistry and Plastic Surgery and as a surgeon at the Department of Military Traumatology and Orthopedics of the S. M. Kirov Military Medical Academy.

Scientific and Clinical Activities

In 2003, Maria Alexandrovna defended her dissertation and earned the degree of Candidate of Medical Sciences. By 2011, she had been awarded the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences.

Over her academic career, Maria Alexandrovna published 176 scientific papers in journals accredited by the Higher Attestation Commission as well as in international journals.

In 2010, she initiated a project to offer specialized assistance to conscripts, leading an interdisciplinary team that performed a groundbreaking facial allograft procedure in 2015. For this contribution, she was bestowed the Government of the Russian Federation Prize in Science and Technology and the coveted medical accolade "Vocation" in 2016.

The First Allotransplantation of a Face in Russia

A patient of the first facial allotransplantation surgery in Russia, conducted under the supervision of M.A. Volokh On May 12, 2015, under Maria Volokh's supervision, a pioneering facial tissue transplantation was conducted at the Kirov Military Medical Academy. This operation marked Russia's first and the world's 32nd facial allotransplantation.

Facilitated by the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, and the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, the procedure involved over 300 specialists from various disciplines.

The preparation for this surgery saw the development and refinement of numerous techniques, many of which were unprecedented, not only in Russia but globally:

1. A legal framework for facial allotransplantation.
2. Experimentation on operational techniques and prevention of tissue rejection.
3. Creation of a waiting list for prospective face transplant recipients.
4. Development of preoperative planning technology, utilizing 3D scanning, modeling, and printing for facial allografts.
5. Achieved coordination between the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Health regarding facial transplantation.

The recipient, a 19-year-old army private, had suffered extensive injuries, including electric burns covering 19% of his head and body, hand and leg injuries, and cataracts in both eyes. Despite undergoing more than 30 reconstructive surgeries over three years, his appearance and function remained compromised. This led to severe depression and suicidal tendencies. At the time of transplantation, his facial defects were substantial. The donor was a 51-year-old man who had passed away from a traumatic brain injury. The surgical procedure spanned two days, with the facial transplantation itself taking 15 hours.

Seven years post-transplant, the recipient's face had fully healed in both aesthetics and function. He successfully reintegrated into society, securing employment, getting married, and starting a family.

Awards and Recognition

1. Certificate of Appreciation from Governor of St. Petersburg, V. I. Matvienko, 2007
2. "Vocation-2016" award from the Ministry of Health for conducting a life-saving unique operation, 2016.
3. Medal "For Services to Russian Healthcare" for innovative solutions in facial surgery, 2016.
4. Crystal Lotus Award for "Best Plastic Surgeon of St. Petersburg", 2018.
5. Certificate of Honor from the IV Congress of the National Association in Donation and Transplantology "NADiT".
6. Government of the Russian Federation Award in Science and Technology, 2021.

Also, named in the TOP 50 notable individuals of St. Petersburg by Собака.ру.

Community Service

1. Certified member of the Russian Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons since 2001.
2. Chief Specialist, Plastic Surgeon of the St. Petersburg Health Committee and the North-Western Federal District since 2015.
3. Member of the Profile Commission in the specialty of PH of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation since 2016.

Organization of Scientific Conferences

Various notable conferences have been organized, focusing on topics ranging from facial plastic surgery to reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. These include events in St. Petersburg from 2013 to 2019.

Selected Publications

1. Algorithm of the Donor Stage for Allotransplantation of a Complex Set of Facial Tissues. The First Russian Experience. Relevant Issues of Clinical Transplantology/ St. Petersburg-2016, pp. 8-18/ Volokh M. A., Uiba V. V., Gubarev K. K., Voskanyan S. E., Vinogradov V. L., Kalakutsky N. V., et al.
2. Comparison of the Immunogenicity of Skin and Muscle Tissue in the Model of Facial Allotransplantation of a Skin-Muscle Flap in an Experiment (scientific article) (List of Journals of the Higher Attestation Commission No. 699). Questions of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery — No. 3 (58) September 2016; pp. 36-40/ 4/1 S. A. Aksenova, G. R. Abzaleva, A. M. Lila
3. Long-term Result of Reconstruction of the Central Zone of the Face with a Revascularized Composite Allograft. The First Russian Experience (scientific article) (List of Higher Attestation Commission Journals No. 699) print. Questions of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery — 2018, Vol. 21, No. 2 (65). — pp. 19-27./ Volokh M. A., Manturova N. E., Uiba V. V., et al.
4. First Russian Experience of Composite Facial Tissue allotransplantation/ Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery — Global Open — 2019, № 7(11). — Р.1-11 Volokh

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