Department of Pulmonology - Luisenhospital Aachen

About the Department of Pulmonology at Luisenhospital Aachen

The Department of Pulmonology at the Luisenhospital Aachen offers all the options for modern diagnostics and treatment of respiratory diseases. The department's specialists provide medical care to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, respiratory allergies, sarcoidosis, and malignant tumors of the lungs, bronchi, pleura, and mediastinum. When treating patients with lung diseases, the department's doctors cooperate with thoracic surgeons. The department is proud of its advanced infrastructure and state-of-the-art technical base. Examinations take place in diagnostic rooms equipped with cutting-edge systems for imaging tests of the chest organs, pulmonary function tests, and bronchoscopic examinations. The department also has a modern Intensive Care Unit with 18 beds, 6 of them are for patients who require weaning from mechanical ventilation. The department's doctors prefer a comprehensive approach to treatment, so the team also includes experienced specialists in pulmonary rehabilitation and physiotherapists. The department's doctors make every effort to provide each patient with top-class medical care in a comfortable and friendly environment. The department is headed by Dr. med. Björn Schwick.

The key to successful treatment is accurate diagnostics. The department's pulmonologists have various diagnostic options for a comprehensive assessment of the condition and function of the respiratory system. Patients can undergo spirometry, spiroergometry, body plethysmography, lung diffusion testing, and a 6-minute walk test in the rooms for pulmonary function tests. The medical facility also has rooms for X-ray diagnostics and ultrasound examinations of the chest organs. In addition, the department's specialists offer patients endoscopic examinations, such as bronchoscopy and thoracoscopy.

The department is one of the few medical centers in Germany where state-of-the-art equipment for electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is available. This technique makes it possible to detect malignant lung tumors in their early stages. The procedure has a high diagnostic value, as it provides an opportunity to assess the condition of the deep lung structures, the examination of which, with the help of classical bronchoscopy, cannot guarantee an accurate diagnosis. Before the procedure of electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy, the patient undergoes a lung CT scan. Based on the images obtained, a 3D "map" of the patient's lungs is created, which helps the doctor make a diagnosis. The procedure is performed under sedation to avoid any pain and discomfort. During the manipulation, the pulmonologist uses a bronchoscope with an electromagnetic sensor attached to it, which interacts with the electromagnetic field generator located outside the patient's body. Using a 3D "map" of the patient's lungs, the specialist advances the bronchoscope through the airways. If neoplasms are detected, the electromagnetic sensor built into the bronchoscope displays them in real-time, and the doctor performs a biopsy of the suspicious area. If the biopsy results confirm the presence of an oncologic process, electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy can also be used to perform ablation or brachytherapy.

Many therapeutic procedures are routinely performed in the department's endoscopy rooms, including argon plasma coagulation, cryotherapy, stent implantation, endoscopic lung volume reduction procedures, foreign body removal from the airways, and hemostasis to stop internal hemorrhage in the respiratory system. All of these treatment methods are minimally invasive. These are performed under sedation and virtually eliminate any risks to the patient's health. At the same time, the effectiveness of endoscopic treatment is comparable to the results of classical open surgery.

The department's range of diagnostic and therapeutic services includes:

• Diagnostics
  • Imaging lung diagnostics
    • X-ray scans
    • Ultrasound scans
  • Pulmonary function tests
    • Spirometry
    • Spiroergometry
    • Body plethysmography
    • Lung diffusion testing
    • 6-minute walk test
  • Diagnostic endoscopy
    • Classical bronchoscopy
    • Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (innovative diagnostic method)
    • Thoracoscopy
• Treatment
  • Drug therapy with pills, injections, and infusions
  • Oxygen therapy, including non-invasive ventilation, artificial ventilation, and weaning from mechanical ventilation
  • Breathing exercises and physiotherapy
  • Endoscopic therapeutic procedures
    • Argon plasma coagulation
    • Cryotherapy
    • Stent implantation
    • Lung volume reduction
    • Foreign body removal from the airways
    • Hemostasis
    • Percutaneous endoscopic tracheostomy
• Other diagnostic and treatment methods