The program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- review of medical records
- physical examination
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- biochemical blood test
- general urine analysis
- tumor markers
- inflammation markers (CRP, ESR)
- blood coagulation analysis (aPTT, PT, INR)
- ultrasound of the abdomen
- CT/MRI of chest and abdomen (if clinically indicated, additional cost is 650/1200€)
- gastroscopy with biopsy
- nursing services
- consultation of related specialists
- treatment by chief physician and all leading experts
- explanation of individual treatment plan
Required documents
- Medical records
- MRI/CT scan (not older than 3 months)
- Biopsy results (if available)
Service
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About the department
The Department of Gastroenterology, Metabolic Disorders and Internal Intensive Care at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen offers the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services in these medical fields. The department's doctors have expert knowledge and clinical skills to provide high-quality medical care to patients with general gastroenterological diseases, chronic inflammatory bowel diseases, liver pathologies, endocrine disorders, diabetes mellitus and morbid obesity. The department has excellent endoscopic equipment for modern diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Christian Trautwein.
A key focus is internal intensive care. The department offers the advanced hemodynamic monitoring methods, for example, volumetric monitoring based on transpulmonary thermodilution, pulse analysis and pulmonary artery catheterization. The department offers all modern non-invasive methods (high flow rate oxygenation, CPAP therapy) and invasive ventilation for the treatment of patients with respiratory distress syndrome. The department is equipped with 14 high-tech ventilation devices, including capnography devices. In severe cases, various lying positioning techniques and inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) are used.
In addition, the department has vast experience in extracorporeal procedures for lung function replacement. The specialists also successfully carry out all types of renal replacement therapy (for example, continuous venovenous hemofiltration, slow low-efficiency dialysis). The department provides medical care to patients with life-threatening immunological and rheumatic diseases, such as vasculitis and thrombotic microangiopathies.
The department's doctors also specialize in the treatment of metabolic disorders, type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, including their complications.
The service range of the department includes:
- Endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures
- Diagnostics
- Sonographic examinations, including duplex ultrasonography
- Sonography of the abdominal cavity and thyroid gland
- Contrast-enhanced ultrasound
- Sonography-guided punctures and interventions
- Liver elastography
- Functional diagnostics
- Esophageal and rectal manometry
- 24-hour pH metry
- H2 breathing tests (for the assessment of digestion of lactose, glucose, fructose, lactulose, xylose)
- Lactose intolerance quick test in duodenal biopsy
- Gastrointestinal endoscopy
- High-resolution esophagogastroduodenoscopy
- Zoom mode endoscopy
- Chromoendoscopy and virtual chromoendoscopy
- Endosonography, including diagnostic puncture
- Diagnostics of the small intestine
- Jejunoscopy/single balloon endoscopy
- Video capsule endoscopy
- Diagnostics of the state of the bile ducts and pancreas
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
- Modern modular cholangioscopy (Spyglass-DS ©) and percutaneous cholangioscopy with targeted biopsy
- Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography
- Endosonography, including diagnostic puncture
- Lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
- High-resolution ileocolonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy
- Zoom mode endoscopy
- Chromoendoscopy and virtual chromoendoscopy
- Rectoscopy and proctoscopy
- Imaging-guided minilaparoscopy
- Imaging-guided targeted liver biopsy, with an assessment of the state of the liver capsule
- Sonographic examinations, including duplex ultrasonography
- Therapeutic procedures
- Foreign body extraction
- Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and implantation of nutrient probes
- Ligation of esophageal varicose veins
- All endoscopic hemostatic procedures
- Myotonia in Zenker's diverticulum
- Dilation and bougienage of stenosis in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract
- Achalasia cardia treatment (botulinum toxin injection, pneumatic dilatation)
- Oral endoscopic myotomy
- Stent implantation in stenoses caused by tumors, fistulas (in all parts of the gastrointestinal tract)
- Endo-Vac therapy (upper and lower gastrointestinal tract)
- Endoscopic polyp removal
- Endoscopic mucosal resection and submucosal dissection
- Endosonography-guided transgastric/transduodenal drainage
- Transgastric necretomy
- Endoscopic therapy in choledocholithiasis, including lithotripsy
- All procedures for bile duct and pancreas stent implantation
- Percutaneous transhepatic bile duct drainage
- Radiofrequency ablation of the esophagus and biliary tract
- Sonography-guided microwave ablation of liver tumors
- Decompression therapy in colon pathologies
- Intragastric balloon placement (as part of obesity treatment)
- Fecal microbiota transplantation
- Diagnostics
- Endocrinology
- Diagnostics and treatment of metabolic disorders, including type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications
- Internal intensive care
- All modern hemodynamic monitoring procedures (for example, volumetric monitoring based on transpulmonary thermodilution, pulse analysis, pulmonary artery catheterization)
- All types of modern non-invasive and invasive ventilation for patients with respiratory distress syndrome
- Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO)
- Extracorporeal procedures for lung function replacement
- Percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy at the patient's bedside
- All types of renal replacement therapy
- Differentiated diagnostics and therapy in patients with blood-clotting disorders
- Special intensive care methods for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver (for example, in acute gastrointestinal hemorrhages, acute pancreatitis, acute or chronic kidney failure, conditions after liver transplantation)
- Other medical services
Curriculum vitae
Professional Сareer
- Since 2005 Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Metabolic Disorders and Internal Intensive Care at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen.
- Since 2000 Leading Senior Physician and Representative of the Head of the Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Endocrinology.
- Since 1995 Senior Physician, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Hannover Medical School.
- 1993 - 2005 Research Fellow and Head of the Special Working Group of the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology of the Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Hannover Medical School.
- 1991 - 1993 Educational Grant of the German Research Foundation at the University of California, San Diego, USA, in the Laboratories of Prof. Dr. med. M. Chojkier and Prof. M. Karin in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (Head: Prof. Dr. med. S. Pandol) and in the Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Signal Transduction and Gene Transcription (Head: Prof. Dr. med. M. Karin).
- 1988 - 1991 Research Fellow of the Department of Internal Medicine I, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz.
- 1987 - 1988 Assistant Physician, Department of Internal Medicine, Nuertingen District Hospital.
Academic Achievements
- 2010 Invitation to the position of W3 Professor for Internal Medicine, University of Tuebingen (refusal).
- 2010 Invitation to the position of W3 Professor for Internal Medicine, University of Regensburg (refusal).
- 2005 Invitation to the position of W3 Professor for Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine at the Rhine-Westphalian Technical Aachen University.
- 2003 Invitation to the position of C3 Professor for Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Hannover Medical School.
- 2000 Extraordinary Professor.
- 1999 Elected Member of the Section II (Academic Body of the Medical University).
- 1998 Appointment as University Teacher (C2, temporary), Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Hannover Medical School.
- 1997 Appointment as Senior Assistant (C2, temporary), Center for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, Hannover Medical School.
- 1996 Habilitation and Venia legendi in Internal Medicine. Subject: "Mechanisms of specific gene regulation in liver cells".
- 1987 Doctoral thesis defense, Department of Internal Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Subject: "Ultrastructural examination of antimitochondrial autoantibody targets in primary biliary cirrhosis".
Photo of the doctor: (c) Uniklinik RWTH Aachen
About hospital
According to the prestigious Focus magazine, the University Hospital RWTH Aachen ranks among the top German hospitals!
As a maximum care university medical facility, the hospital guarantees patients first-class medical services combined with a respectful and human attitude. The hospital integrates all the modern options for the accurate diagnostics, effective therapy and productive research activities within one specialized center.
The hospital has more than 60 departments, institutes and interdisciplinary centers. A competent team of professionals, consisting of more than 7,000 employees (more than 940 doctors, including about 95 professors), takes care of the patients' health. In addition, multidisciplinary teams of nurses, physiotherapists, as well as medical and technical staff are available here. The patients and respectful attitude to their social, cultural and religious affiliations are at the center of all employees' efforts.
The cornerstone of the successful clinical practice is the innovative technical base. The hospital offers the most advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Thus, the hospital has all the resources in order to provide top-class medical services.
Photo: (с) depositphotos
Accommodation in hospital
Patients rooms
The patients of the University Hospital RWTH Aachen live in comfortable single and double rooms. All patient rooms are designed with large windows, so one can enjoy a beautiful landscape view. Each patient room has an ensuite bathroom. The standard room furnishing includes an automatically adjustable bed, a bedside table, a spacious wardrobe, a TV, a radio and a telephone. Also, there is Wi-Fi access.
Meals and Menus
The patient and his accompanying person have a daily choice of three menus. If for any reason you do not eat all the foods, you will be offered an individual menu. Please inform the medical staff about your dietary preferences prior to the treatment.
Further details
Standard rooms include:
Religion
Religious services are available upon request.
Accompanying person
During the inpatient program, an accompanying person may stay with you in a patient room or at the hotel of your choice.
Hotel
During the outpatient program, you can live at a hotel of your choice. Managers will help you to choose the most suitable options.
The hospital offers a full range of laboratory tests (general, hormonal, tests for infections, antibodies, tumor markers, etc.), genetic tests, various modifications of ultrasound scans, CT scans, MRI and PET / CT, angiography, myelography, biopsy and other examinations. Treatment with medications, endoscopic and robotic operations, stereotaxic interventions is carried out here, modern types of radiation therapy are also used. The hospital offers patients all the necessary therapeutic techniques.
- Embolization of tumors and vascular malformations
- Aortic surgery, including in children
- Radiosurgical interventions in the head and body region
- Cochlear implantation
- Treatment of all types of sports injuries
These are pathologies of the brain and spinal cord, benign and malignant tumors of various localizations, congenital and acquired heart defects, joint pathologies, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, eye injuries, inflammatory skin diseases, allergies and other pathologies.
- Oncology (EU Regional Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care Aachen)
- Pediatric cardiac surgery
- General and abdominal surgery
- Plastic and burn surgery
- Pediatric and adolescent medicine
Over 940 highly qualified doctors work at the hospital.