Clinic no.1 of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara, Department of General Surgery, was inaugurated in January 1974, at the same time with the County Hospital no. 1 Timisoara. Professor Pius Brюnzeu, member of the Romanian Academy, was the first head of the clinic, and he contributed to its recognition in the surgical and academic world due to his remarkable scientific and medical personality. Professor Petru Ignat, a well-known surgeon who continued his predecessor's activity, successfully managed the clinic between 1981 and 1995.

At present, Clinic no.1 is run by Professor Marius Teodorescu. He has been working there from the beginning of the County Hospital and step by step, he got to the position of full professor.

This Clinic is one of the greatest clinics of general surgery in the country: it is provided with 100 beds and a unit with 4 highly technologically equipped surgeries (laparoscopic surgery equipment). One can also find here a closed TV circuit by which images from surgeries can be transmitted.

Beginning with 1974 till now, the medical activity has consisted in: 69,000 patients hospitalized and 51,000 surgical operations. The scientific contribution of the staff of the clinic has been brought in several different domains, the most important ones being in the field of venous pathology. More than 9,000 surgical operations have been performed, which is one of the greatest European accomplishments.

In the domain of venous pathology, venous phlebolisis in malformations of the Klippel-Trenaunnay type, elective exeresis in the syndrome of the chronic venous insufficiency, as well as the Chiva operation in the superficial venous insufficiency have been performed.

It was here, at Clinic no.1 that both the Unique Romanian Ambulatory Department of Phlebology and the Romanian Society of Phlebology were founded, under the direction of Doctor Vasile Ivan, Associate Professor, with a prestigious scientific activity materialized especially in the organization of biennial National Congresses.

As far as general surgery is concerned, great success has been achieved in major surgeries in chronic and acute cases, characterizing the activity of a university clinic. Special attention has been paid to the field of hepatobiliary, gastro-duodenal, colon and rectum surgery.

In our clinic, modern surgery is performed and in this respect we could mention the intestinal by-pass for obesity, alloplasties in large eventrations, subtotal pancreatomies, vagotomies and reintervention in biliary surgery.

Functioning as a unit of emergency surgery, the staff of the clinic has always been preoccupied by diagnosis problems, as well as by the treatment of traumatisms, acute surgical abdomen, and shock. We have also operated on many patients coming from neighboring Counties, requiring high surgical techniques and strategy.

The students of the Faculty of General Medicine (3rd and 4th years ) have been trained in surgery, while those in the 4th year have got special training in surgical emergency. Attention is being paid to the students' practical training in the field of correct examination of the patients and the acquiring of correct manoeuvres of the currant medical practice. Great efforts are made in order to provide our students with appropriate theoretical background as well. The students are also trained in fields of research and quite a great number of them work hard in the clinic on cases they study for their final dissertation.

New teaching methodologies have been introduced - interdisciplinary integrated courses, as well as video and film projections with a rich iconographic material on slides.

Clinic no.1 has been, from the very beginning, an important post graduate teaching centre for resident doctors and a training centre for specialists, where highly specialized courses are delivered.

The professors have participated in various training courses in well-known clinics abroad. Our clinic signed a convention with Dr. Castellani's Clinic of Vascular Surgery in Tours, and 5 members of our team benefited from a training period there. As far as laparoscopic surgery is concerned, 4 members of our clinic were trained in general surgery for a period of one year in Munich and Dusseldorf.

The scientific activity was directed towards several domains:

• peripheral venous and arterial pathology - a traditional and also a priority domain

• physio-pathology and the treatment of the shock condition

• digestive surgical pathology - abdominal wall pathology

The expertise in venous pathology in our clinic is famous both locally and internationally. In this respect, several papers have been submitted at national and international conferences, articles have been published, and theses submitted for doctoral degrees.

Special attention has been paid to the digestive pathology, namely the hepato-biliary, gastric and rectum-colic diseases. Emergency problems raised by surgical practice have brought to the attention of the staff the domain of diagnosis and the treatment of medical emergencies.

Exceptional results have been obtained in operations of hernias and major eventrations using wall prothesis made of synthetic materials.