Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Angiology, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology - St. Antonius Hospital Eschweiler

About the Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Angiology, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology at St. Antonius Hospital Eschweiler

According to the reputable Focus magazine, the Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Angiology, Endocrinology, Diabetology, Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the St. Antonius Hospital Eschweiler ranks among the top German medical facilities specializing in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases! 

The department provides the high-quality treatment of diseases of the heart, lungs and other thoracic organs, kidneys, vascular system, diabetes mellitus, endocrine diseases, gastrointestinal and liver diseases. The patients' health is in the good hands of the highly qualified doctors. The medical facility provides conservative treatment with the use of modern drugs. In the field of cardiology, the specialists also perform catheter-assisted interventions in a specially equipped Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. In addition, the department has an Endoscopy Unit where gastroenterologists perform endoscopic procedures on the gastrointestinal organs for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. The department's medical team individually develops an optimal treatment regimen adapted to the particular clinical indications and needs of each patient. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Uwe Janssens.

The department's team of cardiologists pays special attention to the diagnostics and treatment of coronary heart disease, acute and chronic heart failure, arterial hypertension, arrhythmias and heart valve diseases. The specialists of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory annually perform more than 3,200 diagnostic catheter-assisted diagnostic examinations, including about 1,100 stent implant procedures. The department's specialists have successful experience in the treatment of acute coronary syndrome. The patients suffering from arrhythmias can undergo radiofrequency catheter ablation – a modern treatment method for the correction of cardiac arrhythmias using special catheters and radiofrequency energy. This type of therapy allows for the complete destruction of the pathological focus that provokes a violation of the heart rhythm, which eliminates the need for taking antiarrhythmic drugs in the future. Catheter ablation is an excellent treatment option for atrial fibrillation, since the pathology in most cases is difficult to treat with drug therapy. When conducting electrophysiological examination and catheter ablation in patients with complex forms of heart arrhythmias, doctors additionally use innovative three-dimensional mapping systems.

The diseases of the lungs and other thoracic organs are treated by experienced pulmonologists of the department. The specialists mostly deal with the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Lung cancer is also successfully treated in collaboration with thoracic surgeons and oncologists. To assess the state of the respiratory system, pulmonologists use pulmonary function testing (whole body plethysmography, assessment of the diffusion capacity of the lungs, provocative tests, etc.), flexible and rigid bronchoscopy, blood gas test, ergospirometry, sleep monitoring. After studying the results of the diagnostic examination, doctors make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe an individually selected complex of drugs. If the diagnostics confirms lung cancer, oncologists, radiologists, thoracic surgeons and other specialized doctors may be involved in the therapeutic process. The experts work together to develop the optimal treatment regimen.

An equally important focus of the department's work is the treatment of kidney diseases, namely acute and chronic glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, kidney lesions due to diabetes mellitus, ANCA-associated kidney diseases, Goodpasture syndrome, acute and chronic interstitial nephritis and others. At the early stages of kidney disease, the department's doctors often manage to alleviate the symptoms and eliminate the pathology with the help of a properly selected complex of drugs. If drug treatment does not give the desired result, the specialists resort to renal replacement therapy (dialysis). The department performs more than 10,000 dialysis procedures every year. The Dialysis Unit has 18 specially equipped beds, including separate rooms for patients with hepatitis B and C, HIV and other infectious diseases. The last-line treatment is a kidney transplant, which is performed at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen.

The specialists in the field of angiology provide conservative treatment of diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels. To treat varicose veins, angiologists mostly use pharmacotherapy and compression therapy. The interventional treatment of vascular pathologies is provided in cooperation with the Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. An important area of clinical practice for angiologists is the treatment of chronic non-healing wounds, including diabetic foot syndrome.

The therapeutic options of the department are complemented by the treatment of diseases of the endocrine organs (thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, pituitary gland, adrenal glands), type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, as well as complications of diabetes mellitus. In the case of dysfunction of the endocrine organs, the treatment consists in correcting hormone levels (drug treatment), while the main methods of treating diabetes mellitus are insulin therapy, taking blood glucose lowering drugs and diet therapy.

In addition, the department provides the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the patients with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. The main focus of doctors in this field is the conduction of endoscopic diagnostic studies and therapeutic procedures. The department's doctors mostly have to deal with the treatment of stomach ulcers, hepatitis B and C, liver cirrhosis, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, as well as with internal bleeding and malignant neoplasms of all organs of the gastrointestinal tract. The specialists of the medical facility perform more than 3,500 diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures every year, thanks to which they can be proud of a rich and successful experience in their area of ​​expertise.

The department specializes in the treatment of the following diseases:

• Diseases of the cardiovascular system
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Acute and chronic heart failure
  • Arterial hypertension
  • Heart valve disease
  • Arrhythmias
• Diseases of the lungs and other thoracic organs 
  • Chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Bronchial asthma
  • Pneumonia
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Benign and malignant tumors of the lungs, pleura
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Tuberculosis
  • Occupational lung diseases (for example, asbestosis, pneumoconiosis)
• Kidney diseases
  • Acute and chronic glomerulonephritis
  • Nephrotic syndrome
  • Pathological lesions of the kidneys due to diabetes mellitus
  • Pathological lesions of the kidneys due to myeloma
  • ANCA-associated kidney diseases
  • Goodpasture syndrome
  • Acute and chronic interstitial nephritis
• Diseases of the arteries, veins and lymphatic vessels
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Deep vein thrombosis
  • Varicose veins
  • Obliterating atherosclerosis of the lower extremities
  • Chronic non-healing wounds, including diabetic foot syndrome
• Diseases of the endocrine organs
  • Thyroid diseases
  • Parathyroid diseases
  • Pituitary diseases
  • Adrenal diseases, including Conn's syndrome and pheochromocytoma
  • Pancreatic diseases
• Diabetes mellitus
  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus
  • Gestational diabetes mellitus
  • Complications of diabetes mellitus
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver
  • Stomach ulcer and inflammatory stomach diseases
  • Internal bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract
  • Irritable bowel syndrome and bowel polyps
  • Liver cirrhosis
  • Hepatitis
  • Pancreatitis
  • Heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • Esophageal varices
  • Benign and malignant tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, liver
  • Chronic inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis)
  • Biliary disease
• Other diseases

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

• Cardiology
  • Diagnostics
    • Echocardiography
    • Coronary angiography
    • Cardiac CT and MRI
    • Electrophysiology studies
    • 3D mapping
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
    • Radiofrequency catheter ablation of cardiac arrhythmias
    • Catheter-assisted interventional therapeutic procedures (for example, stenting)
• Pulmonology
  • Diagnostics
    • Pulmonary function testing (whole body plethysmography, assessment of the diffusion capacity of the lungs, provocative tests, etc.)
    • Flexible and rigid bronchoscopy
    • X-ray 
    • Echocardiography
    • Allergic tests
    • Blood gas test
    • Ergospirometry
    • Sleep monitoring
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
• Nephrology
  • Diagnostics
    • Laboratory and instrumental diagnostic tests
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
    • Renal replacement therapy (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, continuous veno-venous hemofiltration, etc.)
• Angiology
  • Diagnostics
    • Classic ultrasound examinations
    • Doppler ultrasonography
    • Capillary microscopy
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
    • Compression therapy for varicose veins
    • Conservative treatment of chronic non-healing wounds with modern dressings
    • Interventional catheter-assisted procedures (in cooperation with the Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery)
• Endocrinology
  • Diagnostics
    • Hormonal tests
    • Ultrasound examinations
    • MRI 
    • CT 
    • Scintigraphy
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
• Diabetology
  • Diagnostics
    • Glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin, fructosamine tests
  • Treatment
    • Insulin therapy
    • Tableted antihyperglycemic drugs
    • Diet therapy
• Gastroenterology and hepatology
  • Diagnostics
    • Gastroscopy
    • Colonoscopy
    • Sonography, including with contrast enhancement
    • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
    • Endoscopic ultrasound scanning
    • Ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy
    • Specialized diagnostics of gastroesophageal reflux disease
  • Treatment
    • Drug therapy
    • Interventional endoscopic procedures
      • Removal of stomach, duodenal and colon polyps
      • Endoscopic mucosal resection
      • Stenting for stenoses and obstructions of the gastrointestinal tract
      • Endoscopic variceal ligation
      • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for removal of stones from the biliary tract, papillotomy, installation of drainage systems and stents
      • Cholangioscopy for large gallstone fragmentation
      • Endosonography-guided puncture and drainage 
      • Installation of special feeding tubes (PEG)
      • Emergency endoscopic interventions for acute gastrointestinal bleeding
• Other medical services