Zlatan Zvizdić

I think that the combination of medicine and science is an excellent pairing, and our civilization probably would not be at this level without science. Every one of us who is trying to better ourselves needs science and scientific research, and I think that's the answer for all professions in humanity, especially in medicine.

Zlatan Zvizdić, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Pediatric Surgery, Clinic of Pediatric Surgery at the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has been Chief of the Clinic of Pediatric Surgery of the Clinical Center University of Sarajevo since 2015.

He had always felt good when he was able to help other people and be of service to them. Therefore, the choice of becoming a physician was a logical and spontaneous one. The biggest influence on making the decision was also his late mother, who is still the motivation for him to improve his knowledge and clinical scientific work today.

In his opinion, the way to improve as a doctor is to always ask questions about certain pathological phenomena, conditions and illnesses. A symbiosis of clinical medicine and science can offer us answers.

One of such questions is also the cause of infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS). It is the most common condition requiring surgery in the first three months of life. Its cause is mostly unknown, with genetic, hormonal and environmental factors all playing a role. The fact that the IHPS occurs almost exclusively in early infancy suggests that perinatal factors may significantly contribute to the development of this disease.

The importance of our research is reflected in the recognition of certain risk factors in our local environment, the prevention of which can potentially help avoid the disease. The results of our study also provide insights into the clinical characteristics and epidemiology of the disease in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of the obtained results are in line with the published data and could be used to improve the quality of local pediatric services.

For him, research is passion, and together with his family life, it makes him professionally calm and happy.