In the Facebook post, the medical community expresses deep condolences to all the relatives of the deceased and shares how much the respected professor managed to accomplish for the benefit of people throughout his long life.
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“With deep sadness, we share the news that on July 27, at the age of 97, Professor Habilitated Doctor Vytautas Zykas passed away. He was a prominent figure in Lithuanian surgery, a long-time educator and scientist, one of the pioneers of coloproctology in Lithuania, whose professional activity significantly contributed to the history of the then Kaunas 2nd Hospital, today – LSMU Kaunas Hospital.
Professor Vytautas Zykas was born in 1930 in Šaukėnai, Kelmė district. After graduating from medical studies at Kaunas Medical Institute, he worked as a surgeon and chief physician at Rietavas Hospital. At his initiative, a new hospital was built in Rietavas.
In 1958, seeking to improve in surgery, he began postgraduate studies at Kaunas Medical Institute and became the first surgery specialty postgraduate student to successfully defend a dissertation. From 1961, he worked at the Faculty of Surgery – as an assistant, docent, professor, and from 1974 to 1999 he headed the Faculty of Surgery, later the 2nd Surgery Clinic. In 1985, he defended his habilitated doctor dissertation.
Professor Vytautas Zykas’s name is inseparable from the development of Lithuanian coloproctology. At his initiative, the first coloproctology department in Lithuania was established at the then Kaunas 2nd Hospital. In 1991, together with like-minded colleagues, he founded the Lithuanian Proctologists Society and became its first president, later an honorary member.
Thanks to Professor V. Zykas, the specialization of coloproctology was recognized in Lithuania, and his initiatives and introduced treatment methods helped shape the development of this field in the country. He was also the chief surgeon and proctologist of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Lithuania.
During his professional career, the professor introduced new surgical treatment methods, published more than 230 scientific publications in Lithuania and abroad, prepared 11 educational publications, and together with colleagues published the textbook “Surgical Diseases of the Large Intestine.” Six surgeons and coloproctologists under his leadership defended doctoral dissertations, five of whom became professors and leaders in surgery.
Professor V. Zykas was not only a talented surgeon and scientist but also an exceptional educator. Students remember him as a demanding, academic, and inspiring personality, and colleagues as a person who cherished the history of Kaunas surgery, respected his teachers, and nurtured several generations of surgeons.
For many years, the professor sang in the legendary male vocal octet “Kolegos” of Kaunas Medical Institute. After retiring, he devoted much time to his family, travels, and Lithuanian history. He spent his life alongside his wife, long-time Kaunas Clinics doctor Ramutė Zykienė. Their daughter Nerija and two grandchildren also chose the medical path.
In 2022, the International Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons awarded Professor V. Zykas for his lifetime achievements.
We sincerely express our condolences to the family and relatives of Professor Vytautas Zykas, colleagues, students, and the entire medical community. The bright memory of Professor Vytautas Zykas will remain in the hearts of those who knew him and in the history of Lithuanian medicine.
The farewell to Prof. Vytautas Zykas will take place at the Requiem funeral home, Jonavos St. 41A, Kaunas, on Wednesday (July 29) from 4 p.m. The urn will be taken to Petrašiūnai Cemetery on Thursday (July 30) at 1 p.m.,” the LSMU Kaunas Hospital post reads.
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