The program includes:
- Initial presentation in the clinic
- clinical history taking
- physical examination
- review of medical records
- laboratory tests:
- complete blood count
- biochemical analysis of blood
- indicators of inflammation (CRP, ESR)
- indicators blood coagulation
- otorhinolaryngological examination:
- rhinoscopy
- otoscopy
- pharyngoscopy
- x-ray/ ultrasound/ CT of paranasal sinuses
- preparation according to preoperative standard
- electric coagulation of nasal polyps
- symptomatic treatment
- control examinations
- the cost of essential medicines and materials
- nursing services
- full hospital accommodation
- explanation of future recommendations
- written statement
Required documents
- Medical records
- MRI/CT scan (if available)
Service
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About the department
The Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University Hospital Ulm offers the full range of medical services in the areas of its specialization. The department's doctors conduct conservative and surgical treatment of diseases of the ear, throat, and nose. The department includes the Head and Neck Surgery Center, certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG), whose main clinical focus is the treatment of head and neck malignancies. The department's specialists also have excellent skills in paranasal sinus and skull base surgery, microscopic ear surgery, including the placement of hearing aids for congenital or acquired hearing loss, and plastic reconstructive surgery. Moreover, the department has been treating ENT diseases in children and adolescents for more than 50 years. Young patients with hearing loss, adenoiditis, tonsillitis, acute otitis media, acute sinusitis, and other pathologies regularly receive medical care here. The department's surgeons work in modern operating rooms adapted for endoscopic and microsurgical interventions. It is important for doctors to achieve an effective treatment result while taking into account aesthetic aspects. The department has gained a reputation as one of the best medical facilities of this kind at both national and international levels. The department is headed by Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Hoffmann.
The department houses one of the largest Head and Neck Surgery Centers in Germany, which specializes in the treatment of patients with head and neck malignancies. The medical facility is part of the Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU) and works in strict accordance with the recommendations of the German Cancer Society (DKG). The specialists prefer an interdisciplinary approach to their work, so weekly tumor boards are held here with the participation of physicians from related medical specialties, including oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, and internists. The physicians cooperate closely to elaborate a treatment regimen that is best for the patient. As a rule, the first-line treatment is the surgical resection of the malignant tumor, followed by chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy. If the patient has contraindications to surgery, chemoradiation therapy is considered. It is important to note that the department's surgeons are highly skilled in laser surgical techniques. Robot-assisted interventions may also be performed, if clinically indicated. The use of sparing surgical techniques allows doctors to completely remove the tumor while preserving the functionality and aesthetics of the face and neck. In complex clinical cases, extensive surgery is required, after which defects may remain in the area of tumor resection, so experienced plastic surgeons specializing in reconstructive plastic surgery also work here.
The department's doctors are highly competent in the treatment of hearing loss. Surgery is often indicated for the treatment of the advanced stages of hearing loss. In many cases, hearing loss develops due to middle ear diseases such as chronic otitis media, cholesteatoma, otosclerosis, glomus tumors, and middle ear adenomas. Operations for the above-mentioned diseases are performed using microsurgical and endoscopic techniques. The department's surgeons perform stapedectomy (stape prosthetic repair) with a CO2 laser to treat otosclerosis. Patients with complex forms of hearing loss undergo surgery to implant a bone conduction hearing aid (BAHA), middle ear implant (VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE), or cochlear implant.
Another important focus of the department's specialists is the treatment of acute and chronic paranasal sinus diseases. The department's specialists successfully perform functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) for the treatment of chronic sinusitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, and sinus tumors. Intraoperative imaging and navigation systems are also used during surgical interventions for sinus pathologies. This approach provides patients with high safety for surgical manipulations. In addition, endoscopic techniques can guarantee the best aesthetic result.
The department diagnoses and treats swallowing disorders (dysphagia). This condition may occur due to various causes, including neurological diseases (for example, stroke or Parkinson's disease), malignant oral tumors, or age-related changes. To make a diagnosis, the department's doctors carry out a special endoscopic examination, with the help of which they can thoroughly assess the act of swallowing and detect the cause of difficulty swallowing. Based on the diagnostic results, an individualized treatment regimen is developed. In many cases, several therapeutic methods are combined, such as speech therapy, correction of diet and consistency of foods, and drug therapy to improve muscle tone and eliminate inflammation. In rare cases, surgery may be required.
The department's key clinical focuses include:
- Diagnostics and treatment of head and neck malignancies (within a specialized center certified by the German Cancer Society)
- Surgical treatment
- Minimally invasive surgery, including robot-assisted and laser surgery
- Reconstructive plastic surgery after a surgical procedure
- Conservative treatment
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Chemoradiation therapy
- Targeted therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Surgical treatment
- Diagnostics and treatment of hearing loss
- Middle ear surgery
- Tympanoplasty
- Operations to implant prostheses for the repair of defects of the auditory ossicles (mainly SMART prostheses)
- Stapedectomies for otosclerosis (mainly with a CO2 laser)
- Operations for the placement of partially and fully implantable hearing aids
- Placement of middle ear implants VIBRANT SOUNDBRIDGE
- Placement of bone conduction implants (Bonebridge MED-EL and BAHA)
- Cochlear implantation
- Middle ear surgery
- Diagnostics and treatment of paranasal sinus diseases
- Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)
- Diagnostics and treatment of Osler-Weber-Rendu disease
- Treatment with hemostatic ointments
- Laser therapy
- Application of a synthetic film in the area of the nasal septum
- Diagnostics and treatment of midface and skull base injuries
- Minimally invasive surgery for soft tissue injuries of the head, mouth, and neck
- Minimally invasive surgery for midface fractures: nasal pyramid, orbital bones, and cheekbones
- Diagnostics and treatment of ENT diseases in children
- Tonsillectomy (removal of tonsils)
- Tympanostomy (placement of tympanostomy tubes)
- Otoplasty (correction of everted ears)
- Implantation of bone conduction hearing aids
- Cochlear implantation
- Diagnostics and treatment of voice disorders (phoniatrics)
- Diagnostics and treatment of swallowing disorders (dysphagia)
- Skull base surgery using modern intraoperative techniques and navigation systems
- Plastic and reconstructive surgery in the head and neck area, functional and aesthetic rhinoplasty
- Other medical services
Curriculum vitae
Higher Education and Professional Career
- Since 01.04.2013 Head Physician, Department of Adult and Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Ulm.
- 2013 W3 Professorship for Otolaryngology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (rejection) and University of Ulm.
- 2010 Additional qualification "Quality Management in Healthcare".
- 2009 - 2013 Deputy Head Physician, Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Essen.
- 2009 Invitation to the position of Visiting Professor.
- 2006 - 2009 Head of the Section for Functional Plastic and Reconstructive Cancer Surgery, as well as the Oncology Laboratory, Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Duesseldorf.
- 2006 - 2007 "Organization and management of hospitals" (additional training program "Public Health Care", University of Duesseldorf) and "Healthcare Management" (Duesseldorf Business School).
- 2006 Additional qualification in Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery.
- 2005 Additional qualification in Allergology.
- 2004 - 2009 Senior Physician, Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Duesseldorf.
- 22.01.2004 Habilitation, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf. Subject: "Oncoprotein p53 as an immunological target structure in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma".
- 24.09.2003 Board certification in Otolaryngology.
- 2001 - 2003 Doctor, Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Duesseldorf.
- 1999 - 2001 Cancer Institute at the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA, Postgraduate Mildred Scheel Scholarship for Cancer Research.
- 1997 - 1998 Physician, Department of Otolaryngology, University Hospital Duesseldorf.
- 1997 Thesis defense, Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf. Theme: "In vitro studies using the example of head and neck carcinoma cells to determine sensitivity to cytostatics, tamoxifen, and monoclonal antibodies against epidermal growth factor receptor".
- 1990 - 1996 Medical studies in Duesseldorf and London.
Positions in Scientific Societies and Committees
- Chairman of the Executive Board of the Center for Skull Base Diseases at the University of Ulm.
- Member of the Commission for Advanced Training of the German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
- Board Member of the Working Group on Oncology at the German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
- Board Member, Comprehensive Cancer Center Ulm (CCCU).
- Deputy Chairman of the National Conference of Medical Directors of the Departments and Institutes, Universities of Baden-Wuerttemberg.
- Board Member of the Medical Education Initiative Mol. Targ. Ther. Cancer (MTCC).
- Founding Member of the Research Society for Vascular Diseases (GeGeFo).
- Chairman of German HNO-Medithek at the German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
Memberships in Professional Societies
- German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
- German Cancer Society, Working Group on Oncologic Otolaryngology and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (AHMO).
- German Cancer Society, Department of Experimental Cancer Research (AEK).
- European Association for Cancer Research (EACR).
- American Association for Cancer Research (AACR).
- Working Group on Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Head and Neck Surgery.
- European Academy of Facial Plastic Surgery (EAFPS).
- German Society of Skull Base Surgery.
Awards and Prizes
- 2021 Best Doctor according to the Focus medical magazine in the treatment of head and neck tumors, snoring, sleep apnea, and sinusitis.
- 2020 Best Doctor according to the Focus medical magazine in the treatment of head and neck tumors, as well as sinusitis.
- 2020 Poster Award, German ENT-Congress, Berlin (co-author).
- 2019 Best Doctor according to the Focus medical magazine in the treatment of head and neck tumors, as well as sinusitis.
- 2019 Cancer Research Award from the German Society of Otorhinolaryngology.
- 2018 Best Doctor according to the Focus medical magazine in the treatment of head and neck tumors, as well as sinusitis.
- 2014 Hans Joachim Denecke Prize from the Skull Base Surgery Society, Vienna.
- 2013 Poster Award, West German Otolaryngology Congress, Duesseldorf.
- 2012 Poster Award, 6th International Conference on Head and Neck Cancer, Toronto.
- 2010 Anton von Tröltsch Prize from the German Society of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.
- 2010 Poster Award, West German Congress of Otolaryngology, Bochum.
- 2009 Poster Award, West German Congress of Otolaryngology, Minden.
- 2008 Poster Award, West German Congress of Otolaryngology, Solingen.
- 2007 Poster Award from the Working Group on Dermatological Researches (ADF), Freiburg.
- 2007 Poster Award, Angioedema 2007, Cologne.
- 2005 Research Award of the Foundation for the Study of Head and Neck Tumors, Wiesbaden.
- 2004 Research Prize from the University of Duesseldorf.
- 2001 AACR-AFLAC, Educational Prize, American Association for Cancer Research, New Orleans.
- 2000 Presidium Prize of the 1st International Scientific Session from the Society for Biological Therapy, Berlin.
Review Activities in Journals
- Acta Oto-Laryngol.
- BioMed Central Cancer.
- Cancer.
- Cancer Chemother Pharmacol.
- Cancer Immunol Immunother.
- Cancers Open Access.
- Cancer Res Clin Oncol.
- Cancer Therapy.
- Clin Appl Immunol Rev.
- Clin Cancer Res.
- Clinical Oral Investigations.
- Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol.
- Head & Neck.
- HNO.
- Human Immunology.
- Int J Cancer.
- J Cancer Res Clin Oncol.
- J Oral Invest.
- J Pharmaceut Biomed Anal.
- Laryngo Rhinol Otol.
- Methods.
- Oncotarget.
- Oral Oncology.
Photo of the doctor: (c) Universitätsklinikum Ulm
About hospital
The University Hospital Ulm is an advanced medical complex that provides patients with high-class medical care using the very latest scientific achievements. The medical facility has been performing successful clinical activities for more than 40 years and has long earned an excellent reputation throughout Europe. The hospital regularly demonstrates high treatment success rates, takes an active part in the training of medical students, and works tirelessly on promising research projects.
The university hospital consists of 29 specialized departments and 16 scientific institutes, where more than 7,000 highly qualified employees work for the benefit of their patients. More than 55,000 inpatients and about 300,000 outpatients are treated here every year. The hospital has 1,274 beds. The medical team of the hospital is focused on providing personalized medical services using the most modern and sparing diagnostic and treatment methods.
The University Hospital Ulm is the largest medical complex in the region, and practically all areas of modern medicine are represented here. Transplantology and oncology are among the priority areas of clinical activity in the medical facility. The hospital holds leading positions in the world in bone marrow transplantation. In addition, the hospital has advanced experience in cancer treatment. The Comprehensive Cancer Center is recognized as the leading facility of this kind in the country, and it is certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG). It provides effective treatment for various types of cancer. The center also offers innovative CAR T-cell therapy. In addition, the Cancer Center is actively engaged in research activities to improve available treatment methods and develop innovative therapeutic techniques to fight cancer.
Along with the use of advanced technologies, doctors show respect, understanding, and a humane attitude toward the patient. The medical team includes competent psychologists, who are always ready to provide assistance and support to the patients and their families during the therapeutic process.
Photo: (с) depositphotos
Accommodation in hospital
Patients rooms
The patients of the University Hospital Ulm live in comfortable single and double rooms with a modern design and light colors. All patient rooms have an ensuite bathroom with a toilet and a shower. The patient room furnishings include a comfortable automatically adjustable bed, a bedside table, a wardrobe, a table and chairs, a telephone, a radio, and a TV. Wi-Fi access is also available in patient rooms.
The hospital also offers enhanced-comfort rooms, which additionally have a safe, a refrigerator, and upholstered furniture. The bathroom in the enhanced-comfort room has changeable towels, a cosmetic mirror, a hairdryer, and toiletries.
Meals and Menus
Patients and their accompanying person are offered three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The patient and accompanying person have a choice of three menus every day, including a vegetarian menu. Patients staying in the enhanced-comfort rooms are also offered light snacks, fruits, desserts, and hot and cold drinks in the comfortable lounge area.
If, for some 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 treatment.
Further details
Standard rooms include:
Shower
Toilet
Wi-Fi
TV
Religion
The hospital has a chapel where Catholic and Protestant services are held weekly. The services are also broadcast on the internal television channel of the hospital. The chapel is open 24 hours a day for visits and prayers.
The services of other religious representatives are available upon request.
Accompanying person
Your accompanying person may stay with you in your patient room or at the hotel of your choice during the inpatient program.
Hotel
You may stay at the hotel of your choice during the outpatient program. Our managers will support you for selecting the best option.