Professor Silviu Constantinoiu - Doctor Honoris Causa of „Nicolae Testemitanu” State University of Medicine and Pharmacy

Silviu Constantinoiu, brilliant surgeon, Doctor of Medical Sciences, professor at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Bucharest, Romania, director of the Esophageal Surgery Center of Excellence at  Sfanta Maria Clinical Hospital, a prominent figure at international level, became Doctor Honoris Causa of "Nicolae Testemitanu" State University of Medicine and Pharmacy of the Republic of Moldova.

At the opening of the celebration, the rector of the University, Professor Emil Ceban, declared that the honorary title was bestowed on Dr. Constantinoiu as a sign of high appreciation of his outstanding merits and his significant contribution to the promotion of cooperation relations between Nicolae Testemitanu University and Carol Davila UMPH.

"Professor Silviu Constantinoiu is a well known personality of the Romanian medical system, one of the leading specialists in esophageal surgery in South-Eastern Europe, with extensive experience in resective surgery of the esophagus in the region, and a promoter of new, minimally invasive treatment methods of these pathologies. He is a remarkable specialist in a very difficult field - esophageal and eso-gastric surgery - with over 25 thousand surgical interventions performed in the last 30 years, of which over 1000 are major esophageal surgeries", emphasized rector Ceban in Laudatio, highlighting that the prodigious activity of the distinguished professor is focused on the scientific collaboration in the field of pathology of the esophagus and the gastroesophageal junction and on the training of specialists as regards the use of new and progressive methods of investigating these pathologies. With the direct support of Dr. Constantinoiu, surgeons from the Republic of Moldova attended on a regular basis various congresses, conferences, lectures, symposia, organized by the Romanian Society of Surgery. 

"Dr. Silviu Constantinoiu was the initiator and promoter of the Twinning Act concluded between the Romanian Society of Surgery and Nicolae Anestiadi Association of Surgeons from the Republic of Moldova, which was signed in November 2020 in Bucharest, leading to the fruitful professional collaboration between surgeons on both banks of the Prut River. The distinguished professor, together with his team, is available to support and contribute in the future to the implementation and expansion of cooperation plans in all fields of university activity, for which we are deeply grateful", Professor Emil Ceban pointed out.

For his part, academician Gheorghe Ghidirim emphasized the fact that talking about such an outstanding personality is very complicated, and to cover the entire area of ​​activity of one of the brilliant professors in the surgical field of Romania is difficult. "However, today Professor Constantinoiu as well as our university should be especially proud - another illustrious name has been added to the list of Doctor Honoris Causa personalities who brought the fame of the Romanian surgical domain to Europe and to the entire world,” emphasized academician Ghidirim.

In the opinion of professor Sergiu Ungureanu, Head of Department of Surgery No. 4, professor Dr. Constantinoiu, our good friend, colleague and mentor, has always encouraged Bessarabian surgeons, offering them the support they deserved, especially the young ones, whom he promoted on various occasions, ensuring their participation in all scientific forums held in Romania. "You have become the leading surgeon in the most complicated field - the pathology of the esophagus, and this fact is confirmed by the patients you have successfully operated on", stated the fellow surgeon.

According to the president of Nicolae Anestiadi Association of Surgeons from the Republic of Moldova, professor Gheorghe Rojnoveanu, Head of Nicolae Anestiadi Department of Surgery No. 1, "our university acquired in your person an excellent colleague, an exceptional professor of surgery, a researcher and a scientist, who obtained on his professional path extensive knowledge of exceptional surgical procedures, and, last but not least, published numerous textbooks and scientific works". 

Emotionally overwhelmed, Professor Silviu Constantinoiu declared that he was honored by the high title and that he would like to dedicate this achievement to his team at Sfanta Maria Clinical Hospital in Bucharest. The professor highlighted the sustainable partnership established between the medical universities of Chisinau and Bucharest, as well as between healthcare institutions: "I hope that these twinning relations will contribute even more to a beneficial collaboration between surgeons from Romania and the Republic of Moldova." At the end of the ceremony, Professor Constantinoiu gave a captivating lecture on the topic History of Esophageal Surgery.

Silviu Constantinoiu was born on October 10, 1952, in Varbilau commune, Prahova county, Romania. He graduated from the Faculty of General Medicine of "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy from Bucharest in 1971.

He started his career in 1976 as an internist at the Surgery Clinic of "Calea Grivitei" Clinical Hospital in Bucharest, being successively promoted to resident doctor (1980-1982), surgeon (1983-1990) and general surgery primary physician.

At the same time, he evolved in his academic career from intern assistant professor, tenured assistant professor, thesis supervisor, head of clinic, Associate Professor to university professor at "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Surgery Clinic, "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital from Bucharest.

Dr. Silviu Constantinoiu obtained the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences in 1994 by defending his thesis entitled "Postoperative Reflux Gastritis and Esophagitis". In 2000, he became university professor, and distinguished himself as a teacher highly appreciated by students and colleagues for his vast knowledge in the professional field, for dynamism and humanity.

Professor Constantinoiu's clinical activity stands out because of his vocation as a doctor and his professionalism in laparoscopic, thoracic, oncological and esophageal surgery. He participated in multiple national and international specialization courses dedicated to laparoscopic surgery: the Digestive Cancer Research Institute and the Institute of TeleSurgery in Strasbourg, France (1998, 1999), Robotic Surgery Course in Washington in the framework of the Congress of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (2007) etc. In 2014, he was appointed director of the Esophageal Surgery Center of Excellence at "Sfanta Maria" Clinical Hospital, an institution that he leads to this day.

In addition to the clinical, instructive-methodical and educational activity, marked by an exceptional academic attitude, Professor Silviu Constantinoiu also carried out an extensive scientific activity. The scientific research materialized in the doctor's thesis in medical sciences (1994) and in numerous scientific and didactic works, highly appreciated in the country and abroad. He is the author of 25 treatises, monographs and courses published in high-impact journals. The results of his research activity were presented at multiple national and international scientific forums. The monographs written by Professor Silviu Constantinoiu "Postoperative Reflux Gastritis and Esophagitis" (1994) and "Lithiasis Jaundice" (1998) are included as recommended sources in the training program for students, resident doctors, as well as surgeons attending continuing medical education courses. A special achievement is the publication of "Treatise on Esophageal Pathology and Surgery" at the Publishing House of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest (2017) - one of the most valuable books in the field.

Since 2002, Professor Constantinoiu has been a thesis supervisor in the General Surgery specialty. Under his guidance, 10 doctoral theses in medical sciences were completed and defended. 

As president of the Romanian Society of Surgery, he organized two national surgery congresses with international participation (2018 and 2020), as well as two national surgery conferences with international participation (2017 and 2019). With the direct support of the distinguished professor, surgeons from the Republic of Moldova could participate in these scientific events against reduced participation fees, while for resident physicians the access was free. Professor Constantinoiu has also actively participated in the congresses of the Association of Surgeons from Moldova in the last 10 years and the Congress organized by "Nicolae Testemitanu" University on the occasion of the 75th anniversary from its foundation (October 2020), where he organized a workshop with the topic "Pathologies of the esophagus and the esophagogastric junction".

Due to his vast and valuable scientific activity, Professor Silviu Constantinoiu was elected a member of several scientific professional societies, such as the Romanian Society of Surgery which he chaired between 2016-2020; Romanian Society of Gastroenterology; Romanian Association of Endoscopic Surgery; European Society of Surgery; International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus, ISDE; European Digestive Surgery Society; International Association of Surgeons, Gastroenterologists and Oncologists; French Association of Surgery and others. He is an Honorary Member of "Nicolae Anestiadi" Association of Surgeons from the Republic of Moldova.

The number of awards for the outstanding merits of doctor, scientist, professor and manager Silviu Constantinoiu is also impressive. Among them are: the Order of Faithful Service in the rank of Knight; the honorary title of Doctor Honoris Causa of "Grigore T. Popa" University from Iasi and of "Ovidius" University from Constanța; associate member of the Romanian Academy of Scientists; corresponding member of the Romanian Academy of Medical Sciences; president of the Commission for General Surgery of the Ministry of Health of Romania etc.