Heidelberg Thoracic Surgery awarded as "Center of Excellence"
The Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Thoracic Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital and the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg has been certified as a Center of Excellence by the German Society for Thoracic Surgery (DGT). This makes it one of the eight hospitals in Germany that meet the high requirements for a seal of approval from the professional society for a "Thoracic Surgery Center of Excellence".
Centers of excellence must meet strict criteria: These range from interdisciplinary and interprofessional patient care to a very high number of treatments, treatment quality with low complication rates and infections, further development of the specialty on a national and international level, and a special commitment in the area of further and advanced training of medical and nursing staff.
The Heidelberg Thoracic Surgery Center treats all benign and malignant diseases of the lungs, central airways, chest wall and adjacent regions. With around 1750 thoracic surgical procedures in 2021, the center is one of the largest in Germany.
High patient numbers lead to great expertise. Many factors play a role in high-quality treatment, emphasizes Professor Dr. Hauke Winter, Chief Physician of the Thoracic Clinic Heidelberg at Heidelberg University Hospital and Head of the Department of Thoracic Surgery. "In close cooperation with the Departments of Thoracic Oncology and of Pneumology and Respiratory Medicine, we offer a large number of studies and research projects in which patients can benefit from innovative treatments and care concepts. In addition, close monitoring of all workflows and treatments based on defined quality criteria guarantees consistently high treatment quality." Regular interdisciplinary meetings are held to exchange information on the individual therapy of those affected in order to ensure the best possible treatment for each patient.
Thoracic Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital
The Thoracic Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital is one of the largest specialist pulmonary clinics in Europe, where diseases of the lungs and chest have been treated for more than 100 years. Expert treatment includes all modern diagnostic and therapeutic procedures such as pulmonary function, bronchoscopy, imaging and surgical robots. The internationally recognized medical departments treat among the most benign and malignant lung diseases nationwide. Precision Oncology represents the field of lung in the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg.
Furthermore, the clinic is part of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL) and works closely with the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). Since 2009, the clinic has been a certified lung cancer center by the German Cancer Society (DKG) as well as a certified weaning center (DGP), certified sleep center (DGSM) and certified cystic fibrosis center.