RUDN University did not strip its candidate of the degree amid questions about possible fabrication of surgical results. The university explained to RTVI that such matters must be handled by law enforcement authorities and are not decided by the university’s internal bodies. In its communication, officials emphasized that deciding rumors or accusations about fake documents lies outside their jurisdiction, and the appropriate legal channels must examine the evidence before any formal actions can be taken. The decision to defer action to police reflects a principle that academic institutions do not adjudicate alleged fraud but rather refer to investigators to determine truth.
RTVI reported that RUDN University conferred the degree of candidate on surgeon Alexei Vaganov, whom colleagues suspected of fabricating results of an operation. The thesis claimed that the surgeon carried out a gastrostomy at the seventh city hospital in Ivanovo. The report notes that such claims prompted questions among peers about the veracity of the documented case and the authenticity of the reported surgical act.
Responses from the Ivanovo regional prosecutor’s office, the regional office of Roszdravnadzor, the regional compulsory medical insurance fund, and the administration of the seventh hospital, together with the chief physician’s comment, indicated that the operations cited in the candidate’s work were never performed at that hospital. These official positions underscore that the current evidence does not support the claim of actual procedures having taken place there.
Even with these findings, Vaganov did not lose his diploma. In the wake of the disclosures, media outlets sought a response from the university about the situation, hoping for clarity on how the process could produce a credential that later faced questions about its authenticity. The university’s communications indicated that investigations and determinations of truth would be pursued through legal channels rather than through academic review alone.
One university representative stated that the thesis council does not detect or refute the authenticity of submitted documents; that is a matter for law enforcement authorities. The author of the thesis does not deny that the operation was not performed. The case histories analyzed as part of the research formed the empirical basis for the study, the representative noted, underscoring the separation of academic review from criminal inquiry.
Earlier scientists questioned the reasons behind such silent surgical procedures and the way medical case histories are documented, prompting debates about the ethics and reliability of research narratives in medicine. Those inquiries reflect ongoing concerns about accuracy, accountability, and how institutions verify extraordinary claims without compromising patient trust or scientific integrity.