Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Burn Surgery - Hospital Cologne-Merheim

About the Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Burn Surgery at Hospital Cologne-Merheim

According to the Focus magazine, the Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery, Hand Surgery, Reconstructive Burn Surgery at the Hospital Cologne-Merheim ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in plastic reconstructive interventions!

The department offers the full range of modern surgical services in the areas of its specialization. The department performs aesthetic plastic surgery aimed at improving a patient's appearance based on their preferences, as well as reconstructive procedures for congenital and acquired defects. The medical facility also provides both conservative and surgical treatment for hand diseases and injuries and offers medical care to patients with burns of varying severity. The department has been engaged in clinical activities since 1970 and is one of the first highly specialized German medical facilities in the field of plastic surgery. State-of-the-art and proven surgical techniques are used in the department's clinical practice, allowing the specialists to achieve optimal results, including aesthetic aspects. The department's surgeons give preference to low-traumatic interventions, after which patients do not require a long recovery. Prior to surgery, patients receive the necessary information about surgical techniques and the expected outcomes, including computer-generated images of their future appearance. This approach allows the specialists to take into account the slightest nuances and satisfy the patient's wishes as much as possible. The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Paul Christian Fuchs.

The department's team of surgeons has gained an excellent reputation in the field of reconstructive plastic surgery. These surgical interventions are indicated for patients with congenital malformations, burns, the consequences of severe injuries, and people who have undergone extensive tumor resections. To restore the aesthetics of the face and body, reconstructive plastic surgeons use various modern techniques, including microsurgical autologous tissue transfer (skin flaps, muscles, and adipose tissue) and implants made of modern biocompatible materials. The department's specialists also have vast experience in finger and upper limb replantation. 

A particular focus of the department's surgeons is reconstructive breast surgery in women after mastectomy (breast removal surgery). The specialists at the medical center restore breast volume using autologous adipose tissues from the abdomen, thighs, and buttocks, with adipose tissue from the lower abdomen (DIEP flap) being the most frequently used. DIEP flap plastic surgery allows for a simultaneous tummy tuck (abdominoplasty). Other advantages of this technique include a natural breast shape and a lack of implant rejection risk. Microsurgical autologous breast flap plastic surgery is performed under general anesthesia. The duration of the intervention is 4-6 hours. A hospital stay after surgery is about 10 days, followed by strict adherence to the plastic surgeon's recommendations for 12 weeks. The department also successfully performs breast reconstruction with silicone implants. The duration of such operations is only 1-1.5 hours, but there is a risk of implant rejection, and the breast shape may not always look natural.

The team of aesthetic plastic surgeons is responsible for performing surgical interventions to improve the patient's appearance based on their own considerations, without any medical indications. It is important for the department's specialists to satisfy the patient's wishes while ensuring the highest safety of the surgical manipulations performed. Individual consultations are held here for patients wishing to undergo aesthetic plastic surgery, during which the surgeon discusses in detail with the patient all the aspects of the upcoming operation. Whenever required, computer programs may be used to generate images of the patient with a new appearance. The department offers the whole range of modern aesthetic plastic surgery, including face lift, blepharoplasty, breast augmentation, reduction and lift, body lifting, tummy tuck, and liposuction. The department also offers aesthetic procedures for wrinkle treatment with injections of botulinum toxin, hyaluronic acid, and autologous tissues, laser procedures for scar revision, etc.

An important focus in the department's clinical practice is the conservative and surgical treatment of hand diseases and injuries. The department offers the services of 6 highly specialized surgeons, whose professionalism is confirmed by certificates from the German Society for Hand Surgery (DGH). Surgical procedures on the hand are among the most complex in the field of surgery. The department's specialists have long experience in this field and work with state-of-the-art technical equipment, thanks to which they successfully handle particularly complex clinical cases. Microsurgical and endoscopic interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist arthritis, Dupuytren's contracture, trigger fingers, ganglions, and congenital hand malformations are performed here. A team of physicians specializing in finger and upper limb replantation is also available in the department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For patients with burn injuries, the department has a specialized Intensive Care Unit with an integrated operating room. The specialists in reconstructive burn surgery take on even those cases that many doctors consider hopeless, namely burns affecting up to 80% of the body surface area.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Plastic aesthetic surgery
  • Facial plastic surgery
    • Face and neck lift
    • Blepharoplasty (eyelid plastic surgery)
    • Correction of wrinkles with botulinum toxin A injections
    • Correction of wrinkles with hyaluronic acid injections
    • Rejuvenation and scar revision using autologous adipose tissues
    • Laser treatment and needling procedure for the treatment of scars and pigmentation, as well as for skin rejuvenation
  • Breast plastic surgery
    • Breast augmentation
    • Breast reduction
    • Breast lift
    • Treatment of gynecomastia in men
    • Breast asymmetry correction
  • Body plastic surgery
    • Liposuction, including for lipedema treatment
    • Abdominoplasty (tummy tuck)
    • Body lift (buttocks, thighs, and abdomen)
    • Brachioplasty (shoulder lift)
    • Thigh lift
    • Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating) treatment
  • Intimate plastic surgery
    • Labiaplasty
• Reconstructive plastic surgery
  • Repair of congenital defects
  • Repair of the consequences of accidents
  • Repair of defects after tumor removal surgery
  • Replantation surgery
• Hand surgery
  • Treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Treatment of wrist arthritis
  • Treatment of Dupuytren's contracture
  • Treatment of trigger fingers
  • Treatment of ganglions
  • Repair of hand deformities and congenital hand malformations
  • Treatment of hand injuries
• Reconstructive burn surgery
  • Treatment of burns of varying severity (up to 80% of body surface area)
• Other medical services