Department of Pulmonology - HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

About the Department of Pulmonology at HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal

The Department of Pulmonology at the HELIOS University Hospital Wuppertal offers the full range of medical services in the areas of its competence and specializes in the treatment of respiratory diseases. Particular attention is paid to the diagnostics and treatment of pneumonia, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary fibrosis, pleurisy, occupational lung diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The department is part of the Lung Cancer Center certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG), and therefore pulmonologists actively cooperate with thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, radiation therapists and other specialists. In addition, the department's doctors specialize in the treatment of allergic diseases, including bronchial asthma. The department is one of the few German medical facilities dealing with the treatment of patients with diseases caused by asbestos exposure. The department employs a highly professional team of doctors, for whom the health of patients and their needs are always in the first place. The medical facility uses thoroughly elaborated pharmacotherapy regimens, and in complex cases, artificial ventilation is carried out in specially equipped patient rooms. Patients receive medical care on both an inpatient and outpatient basis.

The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Kurt Rasche. The specialist has vast clinical experience acquired during his successful professional career in leading German hospitals. According to the prestigious Focus magazine, Prof. Rasche ranks among the top German doctors specializing in the treatment of pulmonary emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The team of the department's pulmonologists most often admit patients with general respiratory diseases: pneumonia, tuberculosis, pulmonary fibrosis, sarcoidosis and pleurisy. As a rule, these diseases respond well to pharmacotherapy. Each patient and his clinical case is unique, and therefore the specialists of the medical facility carry out a thorough preliminary examination in order to accurately assess the stage of the pathology and prescribe the optimal complex of medicines. Patients who smoke should quit smoking. The treatment regimen quite often includes inhalation therapy, therapeutic exercises, and physiotherapy.

An important place in the department's clinical practice is given to the therapy of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma. Both diseases are quite serious and can be fatal without timely treatment. There are no methods of complete cure for COPD and bronchial asthma in modern medicine, so the task of the department's pulmonologists is to select the most effective drug therapy regimen that will alleviate symptoms and prevent the progression of the pathology. To achieve a good therapy result, the department's specialists strongly recommend the patients to quit smoking, including passive smoking, lead a healthy lifestyle and install an air purification system in the house. In some cases, therapeutic exercises and massage are additionally prescribed.

The department admits patients with lung cancer, which requires a highly professional approach to diagnostics and treatment. Cancer treatment is provided in a highly specialized center, where pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, oncologists and radiation therapists work together. Prior to the treatment, the department's specialists carry out the full diagnostic examination, including endoscopic ultrasound scans, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET-CT) and laboratory tests. The treatment regimen is cooperatively developed by doctors from related fields at the tumor boards. The key treatment methods for lung cancer are surgical resection of a malignant tumor or part of the affected organ, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, chemoradiation therapy, as well as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and various combinations of these therapies. A particular therapeutic regimen is developed taking into account the patient's specific clinical indicators: the stage of the oncological process, the histological type of tumor, the presence of concomitant diseases, functions of vital organs. The most effective method of fighting lung cancer is total removal of the malignant tumor performed by thoracic surgeons. Doctors prefer modern thoracoscopic techniques (surgical access through small punctures and skin incisions), but classical open surgery can also be performed, if required. After completing the course of treatment, patients undergo a course of rehabilitation, and then remain under constant medical supervision to prevent the development of cancer recurrence.

The department's range of medical services includes:

• Diagnostics and treatment of general pulmonary diseases
  • Pneumonia
  • Tuberculosis
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Pleurisy
  • Occupational lung diseases
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchial asthma
  • Diseases caused by exposure to asbestos
  • Sleep-related breathing disorders
• Diagnostics and treatment of respiratory cancers
  • Lung cancer (treatment is provided in a specialized center with the participation of doctors from related medical specialties)
• Diagnostics and treatment of other pathologies

The department's therapeutic options include:

• Pharmacotherapy
• Intensive care
• Artificial ventilation, including weaning from mechanical ventilation
• Auxiliary treatments: inhalation therapy, therapeutic exercises, physiotherapy
• Lung cancer treatment (in collaboration with thoracic surgeons, oncologists, radiation therapists and other specialists)
  • Surgical intervention
  • Radiation therapy
  • Chemotherapy
  • Chemoradiation therapy
  • Targeted therapy
  • Immunotherapy
• Other therapeutic methods