1883
Born 2nd August 1883, Samtredia, Georgia (Russian empire)

1900
Began medical studies at the Medical Faculty, University of Kharkov

1905
Moved to Geneva to continue his studies at the University of Geneva. Graduated 1909.

1910
Returns to Russia and qualified as physician in 1910.

1911
Repaired his first penetrating cardiac injury at age of 28.

1912
Appointed assistant surgeon at the Petropavlovskaia Infirmary in St. Petersburg, where Professor Kadian was the chief surgeon. Djanelidze and Kadian also taught surgery to students at the Women's Medical Institute in St. Petersburg.

Djanelidze YY. The case of a penetrating wound of the heart [in Russian]. Ruskii Vrach 1912;38:1582–3.

1913
First successful repair of penetrating injury to thoracic aorta
Djanelidze, YY (2.8.1883 - 14.1.1950)
Yustin Y. Djanelidze successfully repaired a penetrating injury to the intra-pericardial ascending aorta in St Petersberg, Russia on 27th October 1913.

The patient, a 20-year-old man, had been brought into the emergency room with multiple stab wounds in his head, chest, and right arm. There were no signs of pneumothorax or cardiac tamponade. The patient was initially stable, and the wounds were closed in standard fashion. However, 2 hours later, the patient developed arrhythmia, tachypnea, cardiac tamponade, and progressive rapid hemodynamic deterioration, and the decision was made to operate.

There was a 3-cm stab wound at the 1st intercostal space left of the sternum, which Djanelidze extended down 12 cm, parallel to the sternum. He removed the second rib, transected the cartilage of the 3rd rib, and ligated the left internal thoracic artery. The pericardium was opened, and a large amount of fresh blood was evacuated. A wound, 8 mm in length, was found on the ascending aorta about 1 cm from its origin at the heart. Djanelidze repaired this wound with 3 interrupted sutures. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and he was discharged 30 days after surgery. Djanelidze presented the patient at the meeting of the Russian Surgical Society in November 1913.

Lilienthal H. Thoracic surgery: the surgical treatment of thoracic diseases. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1925:489

Also in 1913:

Reported a survival rate of 27% in 15 cases of penetrating heart injuries treated surgically at the Petropavlovskaia Infirmary to the Congress of Russian Physicians. Subsequently, Djanelidze evaluated the long-term results of surgical repair of penetrating heart injuries and in particular injuries of the coronary arteries. In the later article, he reviewed 43 cases of coronary vessel injury out of the 535 total cases of heart injuries recorded in the world medical literature that were available to him.

Djanelidze YY. Cardiac wounds treated at the Surgical Department of Petropavlovskaia Infirmary in Petersburg [in Russian]. Ruskii Vrach 1913;44:1535–8
Djanelidze YY. Long-term results of the surgical treatment of heart injuries [in Russian]. Vestnik Khirurgii 1924;4:8–31.
Djanelidze YY. Concomitant injuries of the coronary vessels at the time of heart injury [in Russian]. Vestnik Khirurgii 1925;5:14–33.

1916
Reviewed 17 cases of ascending aorta repair and gave a detailed, 15-page description of the diagnostic methods, operative techniques, anesthesia, and postoperative management involved in this operation.

Djanelidze YY. A case of the repair of an injury of the ascending aorta [in Russian]. Khir Arkhiv Veniaminova 1916;1:87–102.

World War I
During World War I, Djanelidze was a senior surgeon in a military field hospital. After the war, he returned to St. Petersburg and headed the Department of Surgery at the Petropavlovskaia Infirmary.

1926
Djanelidze traveled in Europe, visiting the surgical clinics of Gosset, Leriche, Delanjinier, Bier, and Kay.

1927
Djanelidze published a monograph of his detailed review of 535 cases of cardiac injuries 'Cardiac Injuries and Their Surgical Treatment'.

'It should also be mentioned that the time chosen for reviewing the material was immensely difficult. With the beginning of the war, our ties with the West deteriorated. From 1918 to 1920, we were completely isolated from Western science. After 1921, the normal delivery of the world's medical journals was restored, but the communications with our colleagues abroad remained difficult. It either took a long time to receive a journal, an article or a book, or it was impossible. Personal inquiries to many surgeons abroad were also troublesome. Despite the numerous letters sent by me, only Professor Sauerbruch informed me kindly about a case of heart injury operated by him. However, the most unpleasant circumstance was the fact that our medical journals ceased to exist and we did not know what was done in our own country. Because of the difficulties mentioned above, I would not dare to state that I gave an account of all cases of surgical treatment that occurred from 1896 to 1921.'

Djanelidze YY. Cardiac injuries and their surgical treatment [in Russian]. Leningrad: Leningrad Medical Journal Co., 1927.
Djanelidze YY. Kamenchik MG. One thousand cases of surgical treatment of heart injuries [in Russian]. Novii Khir Arkhiv 1941;49:100–20.

Yustin Y. Djanelidze

First aortic repair, 1913

Treatise on cardiac injuries, 1927