THE HISTORY OF DEPARTMENT OF UROLOGY AT MEDICAL FACULTY OF CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN HRADEC KRÁLOVÉ

The history of the Department of Urology in Hradec Králové is unequivocally connected with the name of Academician Jan Bedrna. The roots of its history can be traced to Bedrna’s appointment as the Head of Surgical Department in Hradec Králové. Associate Professor Bedrna (pupil of Professor Petřivalský) had gradually grewn up to become an outstanding, rather versatile surgeon. From the very beginning of his medical career he was interested mainly in urology, especially in children’s urology, as he expressed in his book „The Child’s Urology“. This book hasn’t lost any of its value even after 45 years. Being a forethoughtful, progressive surgeon, Bedrna was wise enough to foresee the necessity of segregating the individual specialized surgical f ields, and that is also why he established an independent urological ward within the surgical department of the hospital. This act represented laying the foundations of the independent urological department. Bedrna was not only the pioneer of the idea of independent urology in Hradec Králové, but also propagator of the separation of urology as a medical branch, when being a member of the Czechoslovak Surgical Association in the early fifties. Following a lot of stern discussions a committee for urological problems was constituted in l953 and two years later an independent section was founded with Professor Neuwirt as Chairman and Academician Bedrna as Deputy Chairman. Shortly after World War II, in November l945, the Faculty of Medicine was established in Hradec Králové as a branch of Charles’ University in Prague. An important point in the Faculty development was the year l95l when it became a Military Medical Academy. While being controlled by the Army some new lecturers, such as Šváb, M.D (l95l-l992), Stefan, M.D. (1952-1960, later Head of the Paediatric Surgery Department), Navrátil, M.D. (l954-l990), and Jeřábek, M.D. (l955-l992) were acquired for the Academy. When mentioning all these famous names, last but not least, I would like to remind the external postgraduate Zvara, M.D. (l953-l955), whose supervisor was Academician Bedrna himself. Professor Zvara later became Head of the Department of Urology in Bratislava. The next step, significantly influencing the establishment of an independent department of urology, was represented by transformation of Military Academy of Medicine back into a civilian Faculty in the year l958. Other highly educated lecturers started working there. In l959 Konečný came to the department (later Head of the Urological Department in Havířov) and in the year l96l Pokorný came.

Professor Bedrna (pupil of Professor Petřivalský) had gradually grewn up to become an outstanding, rather versatile surgeon. From the very beginning of his medical career he was interested mainly in urology, especially in children's urology, as he expressed in his book "The Child's Urology". This book hasn't lost any of its value even after 45 years. Being a forethoughtful, progressive surgeon, Bedrna was wise enough to foresee the necessity of segregating the individual specialized surgical fields, and that is also why he established an independent urological ward within the surgical department of the hospital. This act represented laying the foundations of the independent urological department.
Bedrna was not only the pioneer of the idea of independent urology in Hradec Králové, but also propagator of the separation of urology as a medical branch, when being a member of the Czechoslovak Surgical Association in the early fifties. Following a lot of stern discussions a committee for urological problems was constituted in l953 and two years later an independent section was founded with Professor Neuwirt as Chairman and Academician Bedrna as Deputy Chairman.
Shortly after World War II, in November l945, the Faculty of Medicine was established in Hradec Králové as a branch of Charles' University in Prague.
An important point in the Faculty development was the year l95l when it became a Military Medical Academy. While being controlled by the Army some new lecturers, such as Šváb, M.D (l95l-l992), Stefan, M.D. (1952Stefan, M.D. ( -1960ter Head of the Paediatric Surgery Department), Navrátil, M.D. (l954-l990), and Jeřábek, M.D. (l955-l992) were acquired for the Academy. When mentioning all these famous names, last but not least, I would like to remind the external postgraduate Zvara, M.D. (l953-l955), whose supervisor was Academician Bedrna himself. Professor Zvara later became Head of the Department of Urology in Bratislava.
The next step, significantly influencing the establishment of an independent department of urology, was represented by transformation of Military Academy of Medicine back into a civilian Faculty in the year l958. Other highly educated lecturers started working there. In l959 Konečný came to the department (later Head of the Urological Department in Havířov) and in the year l96l Pokorný came.

Establishment of the first University Department of Urology in Bohemia and the initial period of its activities
The fast development of urology as a scientific branch, its high quality within the Surgical Department in Hradec Králové and, of course, the heritage of Professor Bedrna were decisive. On March the lst, l962, according to the decision of the Minister of Health Service Plojhar, Th.D., with the agreement of the Minister of Education, the first University Department of Urology in Bohemia was founded.
In Moreover, there are some priorities in medical care and prevention of the Department of Urology in Hradec Králové, springing not only from recent days, but also from the previous times. In the year l953 the first suprapubic transvesical prostatectomy with primary closing of the bladder in the Czech Republic was carried out in Hradec Králové. In l956 the first ileocystoplastics in our country and in l96l the first kidney transplantation in Middle Europe were performed. Our Department was among the first ones in this country where antireflux operations, operations for bladder exstrophy, resection pyeloplastics, kidney resections, nefrectomy with resection of the lower caval vein because of the tumorous thrombotic process and retroperitoneal and pelvic lymphadenectomy in the presence of prostate and testicle carcinoma have been performed. Lately, radical prostatevesiculectomy and orthotopic continuous derivation of urine with creating an ileal bladder after cystectomy were carried out. Also the Transplantation Centre has developed success-fully. It was established in the year l978 and since l988 it has been working under heading of Navrátil, Jr., M.D. Even the modern treatment of urolithiasis (ESWL) is prosperous, too.
Parallelly to medical care, the Department is being fully involved in the pregradual tuition of students, postgradual lessons for doctors and scientific research, as well.

The next period of Department activities after the change of the social system
The last stage of the life of our Department is being connected with a change of the social system in the year l989. Prof. Navrátil, M.D. has retired, and after a short period of substituting, the senior lecturer Baše, M.D. took the office of the Department Head. Novák, M.D. became Head of the Department of Paediatric Urology. He had certain experience in paediatric urology and, moreover, which was very important, indeed, the previously retired Professor Stefan, M.D. has become his colleague and teacher. Paediatric Urology had always been Stefan's hobby and his decision to devote some time to the tuitioning and practising it again was positively accepted by hospital authorities. Prof. Šváb, In l996, as a result of competition proceedings, the Associate Professor P. Morávek, the senior lecturer of the Department, was appointed as the Head of Department of Urology in Hradec Králové.
Contemporary activities should not be evaluated prematurely. But the credits and aims of the present representatives are clear: not only to maintain the good name of the Department and its good position among other Departments of Urology in the Czech Republic (having been achieved mainly by their teachers), but also to go ahead in prosperity of the Department itself. Development of scientific research and teaching activities of the Department are being to be supported, as well. Nowadays, there is also an extra task concerning the economical prosperity of the Department. Purposive studies, postgradual sharing of knowledge, endeavour to gain experience by taking part in important sessions, congresses and trainings, both at home and abroad, represent, according to my opinion, the best means how to fulfil our goals and dreams.
Personally, I would further underline and stress the good working athmosphere based on fair and correct relationship between the colleagues. I do believe all these aims could be really reached.