Department of Angiology - HELIOS Clinic Krefeld

About the Department of Angiology at HELIOS Clinic Krefeld

The Department of Angiology at the HELIOS Clinic Krefeld offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in this medical field. The department specializes in the treatment of all diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. Of particular interest are circulatory disorders, obliterating peripheral vascular diseases, thromboses, Raynaud's syndrome, diabetic foot syndrome. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Knut Kröger.

Naturally, the key to the successful treatment is accurate diagnostics. The department carries out a comprehensive vascular diagnostics for each patient, which makes it possible to make an accurate diagnosis and choose the optimal method of treatment. The most important imaging method for the vessels is color-coded duplex ultrasonography. Magnetic resonance angiography and other advanced diagnostic tests are conducted as well.

One of the most common vascular diseases is vascular occlusion. In the treatment of this pathology, the specialists of the department pursue two main goals: restoration of normal walking and prevention of disease progression. To treat vascular occlusions, the department successfully performs minimally invasive interventions  (so-called revascularization procedures), offers catheter implantation, stenting, open surgical interventions, a combination of open operations with catheter implantation and other treatment methods. In the early stages of the disease, conservative therapy can also be effective. To prevent the progression of the disease, the patient needs to change their habitual way of life. First of all, one should regularly perform certain physical exercises and reconsider the diet.

Another no less common disease in the field of angiology is venous thrombosis. If treated untimely, this ailment can lead to serious complications. The medical team of the department has a huge experience in the treatment of this disease, including acute venous thrombosis, post-thrombotic syndrome and complications of venous thrombosis. Depending on the stage and symptoms of thrombosis, the patient is prescribed either outpatient or inpatient treatment. Hemostaziologists select an optimal drug or a combination of several drugs for blood thinning or inhibition of blood coagulability (anticoagulants). In addition, suitable compression therapy may be prescribed.

A separate focus of the department is treatment of diabetic foot syndrome. Much attention is paid not only to maintaining normal blood sugar levels, blood lipids and blood pressure, but also to the treatment of wounds. If a small surgical intervention is required, it is performed on an outpatient basis. The diabetic foot syndrome is often a consequence of peripheral vascular occlusion, a chronic disease that affects the arteries in the leg, so the patient needs to improve blood circulation. For this purpose, targeted therapy is used. Not the least role here is played by the selection of the right, comfortable shoes.