Heart Institute Transplant Team’s Visit to Toronto

Our transplant team — Borys Todurov, Serhii Sudakevych, Sofiia Chaikovska, and Ihor Kuzmych — represented Ukraine at the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Congress (ISHLT 2026) in Toronto, Canada.

Four presentations on the outcomes of heart transplants performed by our team were accepted into the scientific program. Of particular interest to the global medical community was the report on transporting a donor heart with military drones — an innovative solution born in wartime conditions.

We continue to use international platforms to speak the truth about the war in Ukraine and to demonstrate that Ukrainian transplantology is advancing despite extraordinary challenges. We are proud of our team and grateful for their dignified representation of the Heart Institute and Ukraine on the world stage.

Our trip to Toronto was made possible thanks to the support of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.

During the visit, our transplant team toured McMaster University, SickKids Hospital — where they learned about 3D heart printing technology for training young specialists — and the Ontario Ministry of Health. McMaster University expressed interest in developing a fellowship program for Ukrainian surgeons and publishing research on combat injuries in leading international medical journals.

This support is invaluable. Participation in international conferences — this time at ISHLT 2026 in Toronto — allows us to showcase Ukrainian medicine, share our experience of working under wartime conditions, and convey the truth about Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression.

We sincerely thank our international colleagues for their support of Ukraine. We extend our gratitude to the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, Ambassador Andrii Plakhotniuk, First Secretary Roman Strashevskyi, Consul General in Toronto Oleh Nikonenko, and Valerii Kostiuk, Director of the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, for their warm welcome, support, and excellent organization of meetings and training for our transplant team.

We also thank the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Transplant Coordination Center, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, as well as Mykhailo Fedorov, for their support.