Treatment of prostate cancer with high intensity focused ultrasound (hifu) in Urology Clinic Dortmund

About the department

The Department of Adult and Pediatric Urology, Andrology at the Urology Clinic Dortmund provides the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for men with diseases of the reproductive system, erectile dysfunction, and infertility, as well as for men and women with urinary pathologies. The department first opened its doors for patients in 1907, and today it holds the status of one of the largest urology clinics with long experience. The priority clinical focuses include drug therapy and surgery for prostate, testicular, penile, kidney, and bladder malignancies. The department's doctors also treat benign prostatic hyperplasia, kidney stone disease, urinary incontinence, and urinary tract infections. The department has a team of pediatric urologists who specialize in the treatment of congenital and acquired urogenital diseases in boys, as well as urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections in boys and girls. Operations are performed in state-of-the-art operating rooms. The specialists have unique professional skills in minimally invasive and endoscopic surgical techniques. In addition, the innovative da Vinci surgical system is available here. The department treats about 15,000 patients every year, which is the best evidence of its excellent medical service.

The Head Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Michael Truss. He has more than 35 years of experience in the treatment of benign and malignant urologic diseases. Dr. med. Michael Truss excels in minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgical techniques, which allow him to perform minimally invasive interventions on the male reproductive system, kidneys, and bladder. The professor actively participates in professional urologic societies, acts as a reviewer in numerous urology scientific journals, and has received prestigious awards for productive research activities.

The department has state-of-the-art equipment that meets modern medical standards. The department is equipped with advanced digital X-ray systems with reduced radiation exposure, advanced ESWL devices, high-resolution ultrasound machines, fluorescence cystoscopy devices, bladder pressure measurement systems, laser equipment, operating microscopes, the very latest video laparoscopes, and the innovative daVinci Xi surgical system. Technical resources, combined with the professionalism of doctors, make it possible to provide effective medical care to patients with common and especially complex urologic pathologies.

The primary focus of the department's doctors is the treatment of prostate, testicular, penile, kidney, and bladder cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common type of oncology among men. Fortunately, this type of cancer responds well to treatment. Even in advanced stages, the disease can be brought under control, and the patient's life can be significantly prolonged. Prostate cancer patients are treated in the specialized PRO DO Center, which began its work in 2008. Urology, radiation therapy, oncology, radiology, physiotherapy, and psycho-oncology specialists work hand in hand here. A treatment regimen is developed for each patient on an individual basis.

In cases of localized cancer, the first-line treatment is radical prostatectomy. The specialists at the medical facility perform this operation with the help of the da Vinci Xi surgical system. During the intervention, an experienced surgeon controls the robotic system, which registers the movements of the doctor's hands and, with precision, converts them into micro-movements of surgical instruments that are in the patient's body. The surgeon makes the decision on the appropriateness of each manipulation. With highly sensitive manipulators, the surgeon gives commands to the robot. The progress of the operation is controlled visually with the help of a screen, which transmits 3D images of the operating field. The da Vinci surgical system has many advantages, including a minimal trauma rate, the highest precision of surgical manipulations, a high chance of preserving normal erectile function, and the possibility of preserving the integrity of the bladder sphincter, which eliminates urinary disorders. After robot-assisted surgical interventions, patients recover quickly and experience minimal postoperative pain.

The department also excels in minimally invasive and endoscopic surgery. In 2005, the department was certified as a Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIC Zentrum). The department's urologists are proud of their rich experience and success in performing minimally invasive procedures. This technique is used in the department to treat both malignant and benign genitourinary diseases. For example, minimally invasive interventions are often performed for prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer and for urinary incontinence. Compared to classical surgery, minimally invasive interventions have a number of benefits, including minimal blood loss, a low risk of postoperative complications, less severe pain, and a better aesthetic effect.

The department's operating rooms are also adapted for minimally invasive endoscopic interventions for benign prostatic hyperplasia (transurethral resection of the prostate), bladder tumors (transurethral resection of the bladder), urethral tumors and strictures (transurethral resection of the urethra), tumors of the ureter, renal pelvis, etc. In some cases, the department's surgeons also perform resection of malignant prostate tumors using endoscopic extraperitoneal radical prostatectomy (EERPE).

The department houses the KONTINENZ DO Center, which specializes in the treatment of urinary incontinence in both men and women. The center is certified by the German Continence Society. All modern diagnostic examinations are performed here to determine the type of urinary incontinence and select the optimal treatment strategy. The department's diagnostic options include bladder pressure measurement (combined with an X-ray, if necessary), contrast-enhanced X-ray diagnostics of the bladder and urethra, sonography of the upper and lower urinary tracts, etc. It should be noted that the department is one of the leading medical facilities in the development of surgical techniques for urinary incontinence treatment, particularly in sling interventions and the implantation of artificial bladder sphincters.

The department's key clinical focuses include:

• Adult urology
  • da Vinci robot-assisted surgery
    • Radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer
  • Minimally invasive surgery
    • Minimally invasive surgery for malignant diseases of the male reproductive system
      • Prostate cancer
      • Testicular cancer
      • Penile cancer
    • Minimally invasive surgery for malignant diseases of the urinary system and retroperitoneal space
      • Bladder cancer
      • Kidney cancer
      • Adrenal cancer
      • Ureteral cancer
      • Renal pelvis cancer
    • Minimally invasive surgery for benign tumors of the kidneys, bladder, adrenal glands, ureter, and renal pelvis
    • Minimally invasive surgery for kidney stone disease
      • Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy
      • Ureterorenoscopy
      • Percutaneous nephrolithotomy
  • Endoscopic surgery
    • Transurethral resection of a prostate adenoma
    • Transurethral resection of a bladder tumor
    • Transurethral resection of urethral tumors and strictures
    • Transurethral resection of ureteral tumors and strictures
    • Percutaneous resection of renal pelvic tumors
    • Transurethral and percutaneous ureteral splinting
  • Reconstructive surgery
    • Surgery for urinary diversion after bladder removal
      • Formation of a new bladder from the segments of the small intestine
      • Formation of a new bladder from the segments of the small and large intestine (urine diversion through the stoma using the MAINZ Pouch I system)
      • Formation of a new bladder from ileal segments (urine diversion through the stoma using the MAINZ Pouch II system)
    • Renal pelvic plastic surgery
• Pediatric urology
  • Surgical repair of congenital and acquired malformations of the genitalia in boys and the urinary system in boys and girls
• Andrology
  • Conservative and surgical treatment of erectile dysfunction
  • Surgical repair of penile curvature
  • Drug therapy for male infertility
  • Surgical treatment of male infertility
    • Vasovasostomy
    • Tubulovasostomy
    • Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA)
    • Testicular sperm extraction (TESE)
    • Artificial insemination methods: insemination and ICSI
  • Sperm cryopreservation
  • Vasectomy (male sterilization)
• Other medical services