The program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- review of medical records
- physical examination
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- biochemical blood analysis
- inflammation indicators (CRP, ESR)
- indicators of blood coagulation
- TSH-basal
- blood gas analysis
- antinuclear antibodies (ANA)
- rheumatoid factor titers (RF)
- chest x-ray examination
- bronchography
- high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)
- collected three sputum samples
- pulmonary function test
- bronchoscopy
- bronchial lavage
- nursing services
- consultation of related specialists
- development of individual treatment plan
Required documents
- Medical records
- Chest X-ray, MRI/CT scan (if available)
Service
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About the department
The Department of Thoracic Surgery and Pulmonology at the Hospital Cologne-Merheim provides medical care to patients with diseases of the respiratory system and chest, except for heart pathologies. Cancer treatment is one of the priority areas of the department's clinical practice. The medical facility is certified as the Lung Cancer Center and the Pleural Mesothelioma Center by the German Cancer Society (DKG). The department also admits patients with benign lung diseases, including interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary emphysema, bronchial asthma, tuberculosis, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension. The department's diagnostic options include laboratory tests, instrumental examinations, pulmonary function tests, and bronchoscopic procedures. The range of therapeutic services includes drug therapy, endoscopic procedures, laser treatment methods, and sparing surgical interventions using the VATS (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery) technique. Medical care is provided both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. During the therapeutic process, doctors strictly follow current clinical protocols, thereby ensuring the high effectiveness and safety of treatments. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Stéphane Collaud.
Lung cancer is one of the most common oncological pathologies worldwide, and therefore its treatment is of particular interest to the department's physicians. The medical facility is certified as a specialized Lung Cancer Center by the German Cancer Society (DKG), which guarantees top-class medical care. If the disease is detected in its early stages, the patient has a high chance of a favorable outcome. The department's medical team is convinced that the best results in the fight against cancer can be achieved using a multidisciplinary approach, so not only the attending physician but also specialists in thoracic surgery, oncologists, radiation therapists, chemotherapists, and other doctors take care of the patient. Depending on the particular clinical case, the course of treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemoradiation therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and other methods. An important aspect of the therapeutic process is psycho-oncological care, thanks to which the patient can more easily cope with the difficulties associated with cancer treatment. The department's specialists have unique competencies in operations for malignant lung tumors. Surgeons actively use sparing video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and also perform extensive open operations with resection of a lobe of the lung. Lung metastases are also successfully treated here.
The department has also been awarded a quality certificate from the German Cancer Society (DKG) for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. The most effective treatment for this type of cancer is tumor resection surgery (the removal of the affected tissue and lymph nodes may also be required in advanced stages). Surgery is usually supplemented with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. Another innovative treatment method that is successfully used in the department is hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITOC). The essence of this method is as follows: during the surgical resection of a malignant pleural tumor, the thoracic cavity is washed with a solution of individually selected chemotherapeutic agents heated to a high temperature of 42°C and above. As a rule, the HITOC procedure takes about 1.5 hours. This therapeutic method allows doctors to locally affect the remaining tumor cells after resection, destroying them and thus increasing the effectiveness of the operation. In addition, the heating of the solution allows the chemotherapeutic agents to penetrate much deeper. Thus, in some clinical cases, surgery combined with HITOC is the optimal treatment option for the complete destruction of the malignant tumor.
The source of the department's pride is state-of-the-art equipment for bronchoscopic procedures, both diagnostic and therapeutic. Pulmonologists at the medical facility often perform bronchoscopic balloon dilatation and stent implantation for airway stenosis, including due to malignant lung tumors. The department also performs rigid bronchoscopy, during which foreign bodies are removed from the respiratory tract. With the help of bronchoscopic and laser techniques, the specialists arrest internal bleeding in the respiratory system, which may cause irreversible consequences. Endoscopic lung volume reduction procedures for emphysema are also successfully performed in bronchoscopy rooms. All endoscopic treatment techniques are sparing and allow the patient to avoid traumatic surgery associated with high risks.
The department specializes in the diagnostics and treatment of the following diseases:
- Malignant diseases
- Lung cancer
- Pleural mesothelioma
- Thymomas (thymic carcinoma)
- Chest wall malignancies
- Lung metastases
- Benign diseases
- Benign tumors in the lungs, pleura, mediastinum, diaphragm, and chest wall
- Chest deformities: pectus carinatum and pectus excavtum
- Interstitial lung disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): chronic obstructive bronchitis and emphysema
- Bronchial asthma
- Infectious lung lesions: bacterial diseases, viral diseases, and mycoses
- Tuberculosis
- Occupational lung diseases: silicosis and asbestosis
- Pneumothorax
- Pleurisy
- Pleural empyema
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Cystic fibrosis in adults
- Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
- Rare lung diseases
- Other respiratory diseases
The department's range of diagnostic and therapeutic services includes:
- Diagnostics
- Pulmonary function tests
- Body plethysmography
- Lung diffusion tests
- Bronchial provocation tests
- Blood gas analysis
- Spirometry
- Bronchoscopy tests
- Bronchoalveolar lavage
- Transthoracic needle biopsy and transbronchial lung cryobiopsy
- Endobronchial ultrasound scans
- Fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES)
- Imaging tests
- Ultrasound scans
- X-ray scans
- Computed tomography
- Magnetic resonance imaging
- Pulmonary function tests
- Treatment
- Drug therapy
- Long-term oxygen therapy
- Laser therapy
- Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- Invasive and non-invasive mechanical ventilation
- Bronchoscopic therapeutic procedures
- Balloon dilatation, bougienage, and stent implantation for airway stenosis
- Foreign body removal from the respiratory tract
- Endobronchial hemostasis to arrest internal bleeding in the respiratory system
- Endoscopic lung volume reduction for emphysema
- Surgical interventions
- Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
- Surgery for lung cancer
- Surgery for single lung metastases
- Surgery for pneumothorax
- Surgery for mediastinal tumors
- Surgery for pleural empyema
- Surgery for hyperhidrosis
- Surgery for pectus excavatum (the Nuss procedure)
- Classic surgical interventions
- Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS)
- Other medical services
Curriculum vitae
Higher Education
- 2008 - 2009 Master of Science, University of Zurich.
- 1998 - 2004 Medical studies, University of Geneva.
Professional Career
- Since October 2022 Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Pulmonology at the Hospital Cologne-Merheim, Germany.
- November 2018 - September 2022 Thoracic Surgeon and Transplant Surgeon (Lung Transplant), Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany.
- 2017 - 2018 Thoracic Surgeon and Transplant Surgeon (Lung Transplant), Louis Pradel Pulmonology and Cardiovascular Hospital, Bron, France.
- 2015 - 2017 Clinical Fellow, Specialization: Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplant Surgery, Hopital Marie Lannelongue, Le Plessis-Robinson, France.
- 2014 - 2015 Thoracic Surgeon and Transplant Surgeon (Lung Transplant), University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Qualifications and Academic Positions
- Since October 2022 Professor and Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Witten/Herdecke University.
- January 2021 PD, University of Duisburg-Essen.
- January 2017 Fellow of the European Board of Thoracic Surgeons (FEBTS).
- January 2012 Board certification in Surgery, Swiss Medical Association.
Memberships in Professional Societies
- European Association for Cardio- Thoracic Surgery (EACTS).
- German Transplantation Society (DTG).
- International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).
- European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS).
Photo of the doctor: (c) Kliniken der Stadt Köln gGmbH
About hospital
According to the reputable Focus magazine, the Hospital Cologne-Merheim ranks among the top German medical centers!
The health facility is an academic hospital of Witten/Herdecke University, which gives patients access to the very latest developments in European medicine. The Hospital Cologne-Merheim positions itself as a maximum care medical center, which is why it offers a wide range of high-quality medical services. The hospital has 752 beds in 13 specialized departments. More than 28,000 inpatients are treated here every year. Outpatient care is also provided for many medical specialties. The hospital also collaborates closely with the University Hospital Cologne, carrying out fruitful work at the Transplant Center.
The most successful areas of clinical practice in the medical center are neurosurgery, pulmonology, transplantology, surgery (in particular, minimally invasive), cardiology, traumatology, joint replacement surgery, and plastic surgery. The Departments of Ophthalmology, Anesthesiology, Radiology, Neuroradiology, and Palliative Care are also distinguished by top-class medical service. In addition, the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery provide effective early rehabilitation programs for patients with stroke, traumatic brain injuries, brain tumors, and other neurological diseases. Comprehensive treatment of such a level is available only at highly specialized and best medical facilities in Germany.
The hospital has several ultramodern intensive care units, where patients in critical condition are treated.
It is worth noting that the hospital was the first in the region to be certified in accordance with KTQ® (Cooperation for Transparency and Quality in Health Care). The certification process is repeated every three years, and each time the hospital passes it with excellent results.
The basis for high-quality medical services lies in state-of-the-art equipment, the application of effective and reliable therapeutic methods, and the vast clinical experience and professionalism of doctors and nursing staff. The main value for each employee at the hospital is the patient's health. Doctors devote enough time to personal communication with patients in order to establish a trusting relationship and explain the details of upcoming treatment.
Photo: (с) depositphotos
Accommodation in hospital
Patients rooms
The patients of the Hospital Cologne-Merheim live in single and double rooms. All patient rooms are cozy and designed in light colors. Each patient room has an ensuite bathroom with a shower and a toilet. The furnishings of a standard patient room include an automatically adjustable bed, a bedside table with a pull-out tray, a wardrobe for personal belongings, a table and chairs for receiving visitors, a TV, and a telephone. Wi-Fi is also available in the patient rooms.
If desired, patients may stay in an enhanced-comfort room, which additionally provides a safe, a mini-fridge, and upholstered furniture.
Meals and Menus
The patients are offered three tasty and healthy meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast and dinner are served as buffets, and for lunch, there is a set of three menus to choose from.
If, for some reason, you do not eat all the foods, you will be offered an individual menu. Please inform the medical staff about your dietary preferences prior to treatment.
Further details
Standard rooms include:
Religion
There is a chapel on the territory of the hospital, where Catholic and Evangelical worship is regularly held on Sundays and religious holidays. The chapel is also open daily for visits and solitude for prayers.
The services of representatives of other religions are available upon request.
Accompanying person
Your accompanying person may stay with you in your patient room or at the hotel of your choice during the inpatient program.
Hotel
You may stay at the hotel of your choice during the outpatient program. Our managers will support you for selecting the best option.