Mission Statement
The Division of Thoracic and Hyperbaric Surgery covers both Non-Cardiac ("General") Thoracic Surgery and Hyperbaric Surgery/Medicine.
Diseases of lung and tracheobronchial tree, of the esophagus, the pleura, mediastinum, chest wall and diaphragm are dealt with. A special focus is set upon interdisciplinary treatment of malignant diseases, surgical therapy of severe inflammatory changes of thoracic viscera and chest wall, and on chest trauma.
The whole spectrum of modern General Thoracic Surgery including broncho-angioplastic reconstruction, extensive "en-bloc" resection also comprising resection and reconstruction of the chest-wall, transthoracic and transmediastinal esophagectomy and reconstruction and tumour-debulking in mesothelioma is performed. On the other hand, minimally invasive, Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery ("VATS") is extensively used in diagnosis and therapy. For selected indications Intraoperative Radiation Therapy ("IORT") (in cooperation with the Division of Radiotherapy) intraoperative photodynamic therapy and intraoperative hyperbaric oxygenation are applied. About 1200 interventions are performed per year.
In the integrated endoscopy unit diagnostic and interventional esophagsoscopy and tracheo-bronchoscopy are performed, focusing on dilation, thermic/laser desobliteration, endoluminal photodynamic therapy, endoluminal brachytherapy (in cooperation with the Division of Radiotherapy) and on implantation of endoprostheses.
The Division is equipped with the largest walk-in drive-in Hyperbaric Chamber in Central Europe, which enables simultaneous treatment of up to five intensive care patients and which may even be used for intraoperative hyperbaric oxygenation. About 1200 compressions are done every year, corresponding to more than 5000 single treatment sessions for in-hospital patients or for those in outpatient care, respectively.
Univ.-Prof. Priv.-Doz. Dr.med.univ. Jörg Lindenmann