Department of Cardiac Surgery - Hospital Bogenhausen Munich

About the Department of Cardiac Surgery at Hospital Bogenhausen Munich

The Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Hospital Bogenhausen Munich offers the full range of modern surgical procedures for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The vast experience of the department's cardiac surgeons, as well as the high-tech medical base and the successful application of innovative therapeutic achievements contribute to the prestige of the medical facility both in Germany and abroad. The department performs a large number of operations using sparing minimally invasive techniques, without thoracotomy. Such operations are in no way inferior to classic open surgery in terms of their efficiency, but at the same time they avoid trauma to healthy tissues. The team of the department's cardiac surgeons cooperate closely with cardiologists, and therefore each clinical case is considered by the specialists cooperatively. More than 1,000 heart surgeries of various degrees of complexity are performed in the department's operating rooms annually. It should be noted that the department's specialists attach great importance to personal communication with patients and their support, since the upcoming heart surgery can often cause fear in patients. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Walter Eichinger.

Coronary artery bypass grafting for stenosis and obstruction of coronary arteries is one of the priorities of the department's clinical activities. The department performs both classical coronary artery bypass grafting and modern modifications of this operation, such as off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting and minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting. Whenever possible, sparing surgical techniques are preferred. Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting avoids thoracotomy, as it is performed through a surgical access of a few centimeters below the right nipple. Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting can reduce the risk of lung function impairment and kidney dysfunction. The optimal surgical technique is selected for each patient individually according to the results of comprehensive diagnostics, after assessing the risks of a particular intervention and the predicted result of the operation.

The team of the department's cardiac surgeons also specializes in the surgical treatment of heart valve pathologies. The specialists successfully perform operations to replace the mitral and aortic valves with biological and mechanical prostheses, surgery to replace the aortic valve with a homograft, reconstructive surgery on heart valves and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The department's doctors always strive to preserve the patient's own heart valve, and therefore, if possible, they prefer reconstructive operations. The department has an excellent international reputation for aortic, mitral and tricuspid valve reconstruction. The interventions are usually performed using minimally invasive surgical techniques, which provide minimal pain and rapid postoperative recovery for the patient. If the heart valve is significantly damaged, the replacement surgery is performed. The department uses biological and mechanical prostheses in its clinical practice. If possible, cardiac surgeons prefer the implantation of biological valves, since when a mechanical valve is implanted, the patient will need to take anticoagulants for life. However, in younger patients, it is still preferable to use a mechanical prosthesis, since the biological prosthesis has a shorter service life and may require recurrent intervention for its replacement in the future.

The priority areas of work of the department's cardiac surgeons include the implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators in arrhythmias, endoscopic ablation of arrhythmogenic atrial foci in atrial fibrillation, aortic surgery, surgery to repair congenital heart defects in adults and interventions to remove heart tumors. All surgical procedures are performed in accordance with current clinical guidelines, which ensures their highest efficiency and safety.

The department's range of surgical services includes:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting for stenosis and occlusion of coronary arteries
  • Classical coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
  • Minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass grafting
• Surgery for heart valve replacement and reconstruction in case of their degeneration, calcification and inflammatory lesions, including operations using minimally invasive techniques
  • Mitral and aortic valve replacement with biological and mechanical prostheses
  • Minimally invasive aortic valve replacement
  • Aortic valve replacement with a homograft
  • Minimally invasive mitral valve replacement or reconstruction
  • Aortic valve reconstruction (David and Jakub procedures)
  • Tricuspid valve replacement or reconstruction
  • Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)
• Implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators in case of arrhythmias
• Surgical ablation of arrhythmogenic foci in atrial fibrillation
• Thoracic endoscopic minimally invasive ablation of arrhythmogenic foci in atrial fibrillation
• Surgical correction of congenital heart defects in adults
• Combined operations on the heart and carotid arteries
• Surgical removal of heart tumors
• Pulmonary artery surgery (for acute and chronic pulmonary embolism)
• Other cardiac surgeries