Dear Prof. Kavoliuniene, may I start with asking why you were interested in becoming a doctor?
From my early childhood on, we had lots of conversations about medical issues at home. I grew up in an atmosphere of discussions about patients, illnesses and mysterious phrases in the Latin language. I was intrigued, and I became a doctor as many people who surrounded me did.
Were there any other influences which gave you the incentive to study medicine?
Yes, at that time – in the former Soviet Union – the medical profession was a very serious and honorable one. There was a great competition to enter the Medical Faculty. My marks at school were high, and it was a big challenge for me.
Where did you study medicine? How long did your training last after your medical studies?
In Lithuania there were only two options – the Medical Faculty at Vilnius University or the Medical Faculty at Kaunas Medical Institute. I chose Kaunas as all academic medicine was concentrated in Kaunas at that time and still is.
Undergraduate training took 6 years, I had to spend 1 year in Internal Disease departments, followed by 4 years in Cardiology training combining clinical activity and research. Later on, I got an opportunity to go for a cardiology programme to Humboltd Hospital in Berlin and Illinois’ Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, US.
Why did you choose cardiology as your speciality?
I chose cardiology because of two reasons: the most prominent personalities among my professors in clinical studies were cardiologists; and the cardiology as a speciality was ahead of other specialities among Internal Diseases as well as in research area. The Rector of Kaunas Medical Institute at that time was a prominent cardiologist of our country and famous in the former Soviet Union. He opened gates for young specialists in the scientific world. Being a progressive student I was invited to take part in activities of the Students’ Scientific Society, Cardiology branch. This period of my studies was so interesting, that cardiology became my profile for the rest of my life.
If I understand you correctly, your main interest in the field of cardiology is Heart Failure - why is that?
For many years I was interested in myocardial and pericardial diseases, as well as in the left ventricular dysfunction and the role of beta-blockers in CV diseases. I became an author and co-author of scientific articles and medical textbooks on these topics. For me it is very important that heart failure covers all cardiology – from stage A till D. In 2001 the Department of Cardiology at Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital was restructured, the Heart Failure Unit was opened and the Heart Transplantation programme was introduced. I was offered to become the head the Heart Failure Unit and I have enjoyed this very much! At present, I am especially interesting in advanced heart failure and heart failure management programmes.
What is your present position in your country?
I am an active Board Member of the Lithuanian Society of Cardiology and a Board Member of the Lithuanian Heart Association. I have been vice-chair of the Kaunas Region Society of Cardiology for 8 years and now I am leading the Heart Failure Working Group in the Lithuanian Society of Cardiology.
I am also a member of the Task Force for national guidelines on arterial hypertension and heart failure at the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
As I have been a part of the academic world for many years, working as Associate Professor of Medicine at Kaunas University of Medicine, I am also one of the leading persons in preparing the education and training programmes in Cardiology at university and in national level.
Recently you were appointed to be the chairman of the Lithuanian Heart Failure working group. How long can you stay as a chairman according to your rules in your country?
The structure of Lithuanian Society of Cardiology (LSC) is quite similar to the ESC since 2005, when Lithuania became a member of EU. Chairpersons of all Working Groups are elected together with the election of the President of the Society. According to the present rules we have elections every 2 year. Past- chairpersons continue working in the team.
Could you share some of your objectives for the period you will serve as a Chairperson.
Our objectives are similar:
- To promote diagnosis and treatment of heart failure in our country
- To aid implementation of heart failure guidelines in daily life practice
- To promote research within this field
- To promote participation in the international surveys and clinical trials on heart failure
- To promote patient education in heart failure
- And one new objective came up last year – to cooperate with other national Working Group on Heart Failure (WGHF)
Less then a year ago, during the meeting with the presidents of National Heart Failure Societies, an idea came to me to increase cooperation between WGHF from three Baltic Republics – Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia: to organize the first Baltic Heart Failure Meeting, which gave us the possibility to gather all Baltic colleagues who are interested in heart failure and are not able to attend European congresses, in order for them to share new insights and improve knowledge in this subject. We had speakers from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania and we invited speakers from Sweden, France, Poland and the US. I am very proud of this initiative!
We joined activities in EHS HF I and II quite successfully. I am an editor of the periodical newspaper The Heart Failure News designed to inform the medical society in local language about achievements in heart failure and to promote educational activities scheduled in Lithuania and other European countries.
Translation & implementation of Heart Failure guidelines takes a lot of our time. We already prepared translation into Lithuanian language of the new 2008 version of ESC pocket guidelines on Heart Failure.
Finally I would be interested in hearing more about the structure in your Heart Failure organization?
The Working Group of Heart Failure from the Lithuanian Society of Cardiology was founded in 1999.
When the HFA was founded at ESC, we had a big discussion in the Board of LSC whether to follow European pioneers in this field and to establish the Lithuanian HFA. The question was how to do this in such a small country as Lithuania? Therefore, we did not reorganize the Working Groups. We started from a small core of 9 members in 1999, and grew out to 23 members at present time. Here we have representatives from cardiologists, internists, general physicians, nurses and other specialists related to Heart Failure such as cardiosurgeons, heart transplantation coordinators, rehabilitologists, some laboratory specialists and pathophysiologists responsible for basic cardiology and research. Members from Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda - main regions of the country - work together.
Who provides financial support for your HF working group?
We do not have a separate budget. Usually members of Working Group of Heart Failure raise the funds through interaction with pharmaceutical and high tech industry when they plan to publish guidelines, organize educational materials for our physicians or patients, as well as for organizing conferences. We are obliged to declare our plans and get approval from the Board of the LSC.
How is your social life today? What are you doing in your free time?
Usually I try to spend my leisure time together with my family. I have got a daughter and a son. We are a small community of 11 people so there is a lot to do to have much fun!
But recently all my time was spent for cooperation with colleagues from the Organizing Committee of the first Baltic Heart Failure Meeting which was held in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, on November 28-29,2008. And I am very delighted that we had this amazing opportunity to join our efforts!
Thank you so much for your time and willingness to answer my questions. If the HFA could provide any help to you or your group, please don’t hesitate to ask...