Department of General Surgery, Endoscopy, Phlebology, Proctology and Hernia Treatment - ATOS Clinic Heidelberg

About the Department of General Surgery, Endoscopy, Phlebology, Proctology and Hernia Treatment at ATOS Clinic Heidelberg

The Department of General Surgery, Endoscopy, Phlebology, Proctology and Hernia Treatment at the ATOS Clinic Heidelberg offers the full range of services in these medical fields. The department specializes in endoscopy, diagnostics and treatment of venous diseases, proctologic diseases and hernias. The medical team of the department cares not only about a competent medical care, but also about a warm, friendly atmosphere and maximum comfort of patients. The department is headed by Dr. med. Martin Thome.

The treatment begins with a comprehensive diagnostics followed by a medical examination, during which the doctor presents possible methods of treatment. The method of therapy is prescribed individually with due consideration of a specific clinical picture and patient’s wishes.

As a center of competence in the areas of its specialization, the department offers only tested therapeutic measures. The effectiveness and safety of these measures is confirmed by clinical trials and long experience of the department. 

The department offers all modern endoscopic studies of the gastrointestinal tract. For example, one of the most common examinations is flexible video endoscopy, which is a simple method that allows identifying virtually all disorders in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, the department offers video gastroscopy (examination of the upper gastrointestinal tract), colonoscopy (colon examination) and other methods. Endoscopic studies are held with the help of modern methods of anesthesia, so that the patient does not feel pain during the examination.

The department also specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of venous diseases (phlebology). In the initial stages, such diseases are more of a cosmetic problem. However when they transform to a chronic form, they can cause severe complications. Inflammation of the vein wall can lead to the formation of a blood clot (thrombus). Deep vein thrombosis is of a great danger as it can cause pulmonary embolism.

In most cases, ultrasound is used to detect venous disorders in the department. With the help of color duplex sonography, one can assess the state of venous valves, blood circulation and vein structure. The most common pathologies in the field of phlebology are spider veins, reticular veins varicose, stem vein varicose and side branch veins varicose.

The department offers a full range of methods for the treatment of venous diseases:

• Compression therapy (use of special compression stockings)
• Medication therapy
• Microsclerotherapy (injection method, which involves the injection of fluid (sclerosant) into a vein)
• Foam sclerotherapy (a method in which a sclerosing drug in the form of a foam is injected into the lumen of the vein)
• Miniflebectomy (low-trauma surgery on the vein, which is performed with the help of micro-cut or puncture)
• Crossectomy (a surgical method for treating varicose veins by dressing the large saphenous vein and all its tributaries)
• Vein stripping (minimally invasive intervention, when the affected vein is removed with a small thin probe)
• Laser therapy
• Radio wave therapy
• Endovascular methods of treatment (for example, treatment with biological glue)
• Other methods

A separate direction of the department’s work is proctology. In this area, the specialists of the department most often have to deal with the diagnosis and treatment of hemorrhoids, anal fissures, anal thrombosis and the pilonidal sinus.

Diagnostic methods such as proctoscopy, rectoscopy, manual examination (finger examination of the anus and anal orifice) are used to diagnose proctologic diseases. The manual examination plays one of the most important roles in the field of diagnostics of proctologic diseases. It is effective for detecting even the slightest anal fissures and colorectal cancer. In some cases, colonoscopy is also advisable.
Hemorrhoids are one of the most common proctologic diseases. At the initial stages of the disease treatment is carried out with the help of conservative methods: ointments, sclerosing, ligation with latex rings (according to Barron). Surgical treatment is required only in the late stages of hemorrhoids. The surgical spectrum covers hemorrhoidectomy according to Milligan-Morgan, according to Parks, by Fanler-Arnold, aimed at removing single or multiple hemorrhoids. In particularly severe cases, it is possible to carry out Longo surgery.

Treatment of anal fissures can also be carried out with the help of conservative methods, for example, with the help of special ointments (such as Diltiazem) or an anal expander. If conservative treatment does not produce the desired results, the patient is assigned a small surgical intervention (fissurotomy).

For the treatment of the pilonidal sinus, there are also many conservative and surgical methods in the armour of the department.

The spectrum of medical services of the department is complemented by surgical treatment of hernia - inguinal, umbilical hernia and abdominal hernia (individual methods of restoration of anatomy-morpho-functional integrity of the abdominal wall).