Department of Pulmonology - Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt

About the Department of Pulmonology at Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt

The Department of Pulmonology at the Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt offers the full range of diagnostics and treatment for patients with diseases of the lungs, bronchi and other respiratory organs. Patients receive medical care both on an inpatient and outpatient basis. One of the important areas of the department's clinical practice is the diagnostics and treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Another clinical focus is on lung cancer treatment conducted in close cooperation with doctors from the specialized Lung Cancer Center at the University Medical Center Goettingen. The department carries out artificial ventilation and the necessary therapeutic measures for weaning the patient from artificial ventilation. The therapeutic options of the medical facility include drug therapy with modern medicines and interventional endoscopic procedures. The department's doctors consider each clinical case on an individual basis and prescribe the optimal treatment regimen according to the results of the preliminary diagnostics. The Head Physician of the department is Dr. med. Klaus Schild.

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant pulmonary diseases, so the department's doctors offer their patients modern methods of dealing with this type of oncology. The department's medical team cooperates with doctors from the Lung Cancer Center at the University Medical Center Goettingen, which provides access to innovative therapeutic methods in this field. Lung cancer treatment is complicated by the fact that the oncological process is asymptomatic for a long time, and when the first symptoms manifest themselves, the disease already reaches an advanced stage. If the patient tells the doctor about such symptoms as cough, shortness of breath, hemoptysis, painful sensations in the thorax and a sharp loss of body weight, the specialist strongly recommends him to undergo a complex of diagnostic examinations that will confirm or exclude the diagnosis. The diagnostics usually include instrumental methods such as X-ray, CT and MRI. The department's doctors also often perform diagnostic bronchoscopy. If doctors' fears are confirmed, and lung cancer is diagnosed, the specialists immediately begin treatment planning. The treatment regimen is developed at an interdisciplinary tumor board with the participation of not only pulmonologists, but also thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapists and other specialists. Among other methods, the team of the department's doctors uses targeted drug therapy and sparing interventional procedures: stent implantation, argon plasma coagulation, cryotherapy, laser therapy and others. The resection surgery for lung malignancy and radiation therapy are carried out in the specialized departments of the University Medical Center Goettingen.

An equally important area of ​​the department's clinical practice is the provision of medical care to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The pathology is characterized by progressive partial airway obstruction, most often caused by smoking or other external irritating factors. To make an accurate diagnosis, the department's specialists carry out a clinical examination, laboratory tests, pulmonary function tests, X-ray scanning and, in some cases, bronchoscopy. A complete cure of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is currently impossible, but the department's pulmonologists offer patients effective drug therapy regimens aimed at controlling pathology and alleviating symptoms. The doctors also quite often resort to inhalation therapy and oxygen therapy. The last-line therapy is an endoscopic lung volume reduction. A prerequisite for achieving a successful result in the fight against COPD is to quit smoking, if the patient has this bad habit.

The department performs all types of invasive and non-invasive ventilation for severe acute conditions, for example, for severe pneumonia (lung inflammation). The provision of weaning services is also within the competence of the pulmonologists working in the medical facility.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Diagnostics and treatment of lung cancer (in cooperation with Lung Cancer Center at the University Medical Center Goettingen)
• Diagnostics and treatment of malignant pleural tumors
• Diagnostics and treatment of bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Diagnostics and treatment of interstitial lung disease
• Diagnostics and treatment of sarcoidosis
• Diagnostics and treatment of bronchiectasis
• Diagnostics and treatment of sleep-related breathing disorders
• Diagnostics and treatment of other pulmonary pathologies

The department's diagnostic and therapeutic options include:

• Diagnostics
  • Pulmonary function testing
    • Spirometry
    • Spiroergometry
    • Body plethysmography
    • Lung diffusion testing
    • Pulse oximetry
    • Blood gas test
  • Endoscopic diagnostics of pulmonary diseases
    • Bronchoscopy (flexible and rigid), including transbronchial needle biopsy and cryobiopsy
    • Ultrasound-guided lymph node puncture
    • Thoracoscopy for examining the pleural cavity
• Treatment
  • Pharmacotherapy, including targeted therapy for lung cancer
  • Interventional endoscopic procedures
    • Hemostasis for pulmonary hemorrhage with fibrin or adrenaline
    • Tamponade for stopping severe hemorrhage 
    • Argon plasma coagulation, laser therapy and cryotherapy for lung tumors
    • Endoscopic lung volume reduction (for example, for severe pulmonary emphysema)
• Other medical services