Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology - Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt

About the Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology at Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology at the Eichsfeld Hospital Heilbad Heiligenstadt provides all the options of modern medicine for the diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, prostate and testicles. The department specializes not only in the treatment of young, middle-aged and elderly patients, but also deals with the treatment of children with urologic diseases. The medical facility began its work in 1965 and during this time has won an excellent reputation in the German medical arena. The department provides conservative and surgical treatment of various urologic diseases, with the exception of kidney transplant surgery. The key focus of the department's clinical practice is on the treatment of oncological diseases: prostate, testicular, penile, kidney and bladder cancers. The treatment of urinary incontinence in women and men is also an important part of the specialists' work. The department's doctors regularly demonstrate high treatment success rates in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia. In most cases, the operations for urologic diseases are performed using low-traumatic surgical techniques, eliminating the need for a full-fledged major surgery. The department has 53 beds for patient hospitalization. The Head Physician of the department is Dr. med. Aktham Al-Ani.

The medical facility is proud of its state-of-the-art medical equipment. The department's diagnostic rooms have systems for digital radiography and 3D ultrasound scanning, while operating rooms are equipped with laser systems, argon beamers, systems for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, and all the necessary instruments for microsurgical and endoscopic interventions. The advanced technical base allows the department's doctors to offer patients effective treatment at a high European level. It is extremely important for the department's specialists to cure the pathology or to achieve a stable remission and return the patient to his habitual way of life. All medical services are patient-centered, and focused on meeting his individual needs and wishes.

The main clinical interest for the department's doctors includes the treatment of malignant diseases of the prostate, testicles, penis, kidneys and bladder. Depending on the particular diagnosis and the results of the preliminary diagnostics, an optimal treatment regimen is developed, the purpose of which is to completely cure cancer, as well as to ensure a high quality of life without pain and restrictions in everyday life. The department's therapeutic options include surgical tumor resection (in most cases, with the use of minimally invasive techniques), targeted therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and supportive care. As a rule, doctors combine several therapeutic methods in order to achieve a successful result, but the treatment is based on the surgical removal of the tumor, and sometimes of the entire affected organ. For example, advanced bladder cancer may require resection (radical cystectomy). In such cases, the specialists additionally use reconstructive techniques – the formation of an orthotopic bladder from intestinal tissues. In the event of removal of the affected testicle, it is also possible to carry out organ prosthetic repair.

The team of the department's urologists is also proud of its competence in the treatment of urinary incontinence in women and men. Since pathology is more common in women, gynecologists are involved in the therapeutic process. The diagnostics of pathology is carried out on an outpatient basis. The specialists carry out urodynamic testing, cystography, cystoscopy, ultrasound scans, laboratory tests. Should the diagnosis be confirmed, doctors begin treatment planning. The first-line treatment usually includes pharmacotherapy, special therapeutic exercises, biofeedback, and other conservative methods. For complex and advanced forms of urinary incontinence, the department's specialists recommend surgical treatment: TOT and TVT sling procedures, as well as Burch colposuspension. Sometimes botox injections are an alternative to surgery. The department also performs surgery to repair pelvic organ prolapse in women.

The team of the department's doctors often deals with the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The pathology is benign, but the neoplasm tends to grow, and therefore, without timely treatment, it can cause severe urinary disorders up to acute urinary retention. The department's therapeutic offer in this field includes laser treatment (RevoLix DUO and ThuLEP devices) and transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). The optimal type of therapy is selected by the department's doctors individually, based on the results of the preliminary diagnostics.

A special focus of the department's clinical activities is also on the treatment of urologic diseases in children. The treatment, including surgical one, often takes place on an outpatient basis, so the child does not need a hospital stay. The most common urinary system and reproductive system disorders in boys include enuresis, hypospadias, phimosis, undescended testes, testicular torsion, renal pelvis outflow stenosis, vesicoureteral reflux, and recurrent urinary tract infections. The department's doctors successfully cope with all of the above-mentioned pathologies with the use of modern and low-traumatic treatments.

The department's main clinical focuses include:

• Diagnostics and treatment of oncological diseases of the genitourinary system and male reproductive system
  • Prostate cancer
  • Testicular cancer
  • Penile cancer
  • Kidney cancer
  • Bladder cancer
• Diagnostics and treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia
• Diagnostics and treatment of urinary disorders
• Diagnostics and treatment of urogynecologic diseases
  • Urinary incontinence
  • Pelvic organ prolapse
• Diagnostics and treatment of kidney stone disease
• Diagnostics and treatment of erectile dysfunction
• Diagnostics and treatment of urologic diseases in children
  • Hypospadias
  • Phimosis
  • Cryptorchidism (undescended testes)
  • Testicular torsion
  • Pelvic stenosis
  • Vesicoureteral reflux
  • Enuresis
• Diagnostics and treatment of other diseases

The department's therapeutic options include:

• Conservative treatment
  • Pharmacotherapy
  • Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, targeted therapy and hormone therapy for urologic cancers
  • Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for crushing kidney and bladder stones
  • Botox injections for urinary incontinence
  • Laser removal of genital warts
• Surgery
  • Radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer treatment
  • Transurethral resection of bladder tumors, laser coagulation of bladder and ureter tumors, as well as radical cystectomy (bladder removal) followed by plastic surgery to form an artificial bladder
  • Organ-preserving surgery for kidney tumor resection and radical nephrectomy (open) for large kidney tumors
  • Inguinal orchiectomy and partial testicular resection for testicular cancer, as well as testicular prosthetic repair after resection
  • Total and partial penectomy, circumcision and laser treatment of small superficial penile tumors in case of penile cancer
  • Transurethral resection of the prostate, Revolix-Duo-LASER therapy, endoscopic holmium enucleation for prostatic hyperplasia ThuLEP and implantation of a special stent (extremely rare) for benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Penile implant surgery for erectile dysfunction
  • Surgery for urinary disorders
  • TOT and TVT sling procedures and Burch colposuspension for urinary incontinence in women
  • Surgery for urologic diseases in children: circumcision, frenuloplasty, orchidopexy, hypospadias surgical repair, plastic surgery for pelvic stenosis
• Other treatment methods