Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology - Helios Hospital Hildesheim

About the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at Helios Hospital Hildesheim

The Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Helios Hospital Hildesheim offers effective treatment for the patients suffering from musculoskeletal diseases and injuries of any severity. The department's doctors have in their arsenal both conservative and surgical treatment methods. The department's operating rooms are equipped with the very latest technology, and therefore most operations on the joints, bones, muscles, ligaments and other anatomical structures of the musculoskeletal system are performed using sparing minimally invasive surgical techniques. Such an approach allows the patients to more easily undergo treatment and recover after surgery as soon as possible. The Chief Physician of the department is Prof. Dr. med. Burkhard Wippermann.

One of the key focuses of the department's clinical practice is joint replacement surgery. The medical facility has the most prestigious certificate in Germany in this field (endoCert) and has the status of the Maximum Care Endoprosthetics Center. The department's surgeons successfully perform surgery to replace hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle joints, as well as revision interventions to replace worn-out endoprostheses. At the stage of diagnostics, an attending physician accurately examines the patient, assesses the degree of joint damage and determines which treatment methods will be the most effective in a particular clinical case. With the timely treatment of the patient in the department, it is possible to avoid invasive therapy, but use only drug therapy and physiotherapy. In the case of arthrosis, the patient begins to experience pain only at the advanced stage, and therefore the department's doctors quite often have to resort to surgery for partial or total joint replacement. To replace joints, the medical facility uses only high-quality prostheses made of durable materials, the service life of which ranges from 15 to 20 years. The replacement of joints eliminates pain, restores the patient's freedom of movement and the ability to lead an active lifestyle. After the intervention, the department's patients undergo a rehabilitation program, the duration of which is 8-10 days. The rehabilitation begins immediately after surgery. The experienced medical staff and physiotherapists who monitor the achieved progress take care of the patient. Whenever required, after discharge from the hospital, rehabilitation treatment can be continued within the specialized Rehabilitation Center.

The department is recognized as a regional Trauma Center – its doctors provide effective treatment for all kinds of injuries, including multiple ones (polytrauma). About 15,000 patients with various injuries are admitted to the department annually. Medical care is provided by a highly professional team of specialists consisting of emergency doctors, general and abdominal surgeons, vascular, spinal, thoracic and plastic surgeons, anesthesiologists and other doctors. The department has a helipad for prompt round-the-clock delivery of patients.

An important area of the department's ​​clinical practice is the treatment of benign and malignant musculoskeletal tumors. Primary tumors of this spectrum develop quite rarely, and therefore, in most cases, the doctors diagnose secondary musculoskeletal tumors caused by breast, lung, prostate, bowel, kidney and other cancers. The optimal treatment regimen is developed at an interdisciplinary tumor board with the participation of orthopedists, oncologists, radiologists, radiation therapists and other specialists. In especially complex cases, the medical team attracts highly qualified doctors from the Hanover Medical School that is one of the best university hospitals in Germany. The classical treatment protocol includes tumor resection surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. After completing the main treatment course, the patient is recommended to undergo regular follow-up diagnostic examinations in order to prevent cancer recurrence.

The department's medical team has excellent qualifications in the treatment of shoulder injuries and diseases: impingement syndrome, calcific tendonitis, rotator cuff tear, shoulder instability, shoulder arthritis, etc. The therapeutic options include both conservative and surgical treatments. The department's doctors follow modern clinical protocols, thus achieving high efficiency of therapy. To provide comprehensive medical care, the department's doctors cooperate closely with physiotherapists. This approach allows the patient to recover after the completion of the main treatment, taking into account all his needs and wishes.

The department's main clinical focuses include:

• Partial and total hip, knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle replacement surgery
• Conservative and surgical treatment of injuries of any severity, including multiple injuries (polytrauma)
• Conservative and surgical treatment of hip diseases
  • Hip dysplasia
  • Rheumatic lesions
  • Avascular necrosis of the femoral head
  • Perthes disease
  • Epiphyseal femoral head fractures
  • Femoral head and acetabular fractures
  • Pathological hip lesions caused by gout
• Conservative and surgical treatment of knee diseases
  • O-shaped and X-shaped deformities of the lower extremities
  • Rheumatic lesions
  • Knee fractures
  • Cruciate ligament tears
  • Meniscus tears
  • Osteochondritis dissecans
  • Pathological knee lesions caused by gout
• Conservative and surgical treatment of shoulder diseases
  • Impingement syndrome
  • Calcific tendonitis 
  • Bursitis
  • Biceps brachii tendon injuries
  • Rotator cuff tear
  • Shoulder instability
• Conservative and surgical treatment of musculoskeletal tumors
  • Bone tumors
  • Muscle tumors
  • Ligament and tendon tumors
  • Cartilage tumors
  • Intervertebral disc tumors
• Other medical services