Aachen is one of the most modern and great medical centers of Europe. The University Hospital of Aachen is the complex of hospitals located on border of three states, namely Germany, Belgium and Holland. The city of Aachen is one hour driving from Düsseldorf. The medical center is outside the city and it is only 10 minutes driving from the city centre. Round the city center there is a small park zone and scientific town.

European experts with great names of various medicine directions work at the University Hospital of Aachen. Moreover, a combination of the high-level diagnostic and medical equipment, high skilled staff, and comfortable conditions of patients' stay is attractive to patients not only from Germany, but also from many European countries, Middle East, and North America.

At the University Hospital of Aachen there are 36 clinics specializing in almost all directions of modern medicine, and also numerous institutes, laboratories, the large centre of medical information and software. The scientific base plays an important role for the university hospital.

The medical department that is a component of the University Aachen works at the hospital. The system of external pipes is a unique central air system of the medical center of the University Aachen which completely excludes distribution of any infections at the building.

Noninvasive methods of diagnostics are:

• Multi-channel electrocardiography

• Argometry

• Daily monitoring of electrocardiogram and arterial pressure with high-precision electronic processing of results, including the analysis of late potentials, recorder manifestations, variability of cardiac beat rates

• Research on a rotating table

• All forms of echocardiography, including transoesophagal, contrast and stress echocardiography (dynamic and pharmacological) as well as three-dimensional echocardiography

Invasive cardiology

Invasive cardiology means catheter diagnostics of the ischemic disease, cardiomyopathy and all congenital and acquired heart diseases of adult patients by the following methods:

• Intracoronary Doppler and ultrasonic examination

• Heart biopsy

• Myocardial transcutaneous revasculization by means of endocardial mapping and the posterior laser application

• Septal ablation by hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

• Catheter intervention closing of atrial septum defects

• electrophysiology with catheter diagnostics of complicated supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmia

• high-frequency electroablation, including application of electro anatomic mapping

The modern spectrum of catheter therapeutic methods includes:

• Vessel dilatation of coronary stents

• Rotablation

• Stent implantation

• Recanalization of acute and chronic vessel occlusion by conventional techniques and with application of laser techniques.

• Intracoronary radiotherapy (brachytherapy) is successfully applied in close cooperation with the University Hospital radiotherapy experts.

Cardiologic intensive care

Treatment of all acute cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases is intensively carried out at the center. The recently developed new computer system of management of all essential indicators is a basis of the continuous control of patients.

The intensive care department has its own system of cardiac catheterization that allows immediately to carry on invasive diagnostics and therapy of the patients with acute myocardial infarction and acute coronary syndrome as well as other acute cardiopulmonary diseases (for example, pulmonary embolism).

Besides, patients with serious chronic diseases of lungs and acute pulmonary insufficiency receive their treatment there. Differential artificial ventilation is an important, almost exclusive method of treatment carried on in these cases.

Function study of breath system at the University Hospital of Aachen includes:

• Plethysmography of the whole body, including analysis of blood gas structure

• Spiroergometry

• Measurement of diffusion size

• Allergology diagnostics, including specific and nonspecific bronchial provocative tests

• Whole spectrum of bronchoscopic diagnostics, including recanalization, stent implantation, laser influence and afterloading in the treatment of tumor diseases.

Inpatient treatment

The basic factors for treatment at the University hospital Aachen are:

• All acute and chronic heart diseases with possible application of intra-aortic balloon counter-pulsation

• All acute and chronic diseases of respiratory system

The following operations are carried on in close cooperation with the hospital of cardiac, thorax, and vascular surgery:

• Pre-surgical diagnostics and preparation of patients for a heart transplantation, and postoperative long-term rehabilitation of these patients

• Pre-surgical and postoperative observation over patients with implanted defibrillators or all forms of modern artificial pacemakers, including ventricular resynchronizing therapy while cardiac insufficiency (biventricular pacemaker)

Out-patient diagnostics and treatment

The hospital out-patient department specializes in the following fields:

• Partially hospital catheter cardiologic diagnostics

• Outpatients' clinic for patients with the artificial pacemaker and defibrillators

• Outpatients' clinic for patients with heart transplantation

• Outpatients' clinic for patients with heart rhythm disturbance

• Outpatients' clinic for patients with congenital heart disease and cardiovascular changes in Marfan's disease

• Outpatients' clinic for patients with chronic diseases of bronchial system and lungs

• Orthopedics

The orthopedic clinic is one of leading hospitals of orthopedic direction not only in Europe, but also all over the world. Patients from Japan, the USA, the Arabian countries, Israel, and Canada come to Germany to receive treatment and qualified help. Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Niethard, the general secretary of German Orthopedics and Traumatology Society, is the head of the orthopedic department.

The clinic has 86 outpatient beds in four departments. 24 highly skilled doctors, including 6 medicine senior doctors, 2 professors, and 2 private senior lecturers work at the clinic.

The orthopedic clinic has the rehabilitation department where 10 physiatrists work.

Inpatient treatment

• Conservative and surgical treatment of arthrosis

• Surgical revision and repositioning of the bone and joint

• Partial and total joint prosthetics, including replacement of prostheses

• Surgical treatment of rheumatologic diseases

• Conservative and surgical treatment of backbone diseases

• Surgical treatment of tumors of the support and locomotion system

• Conservative and surgical treatment of diseases and traumas of children's and teenagers' support and locomotion system

• Special treatment of children with consequences of the children's cerebral paralysis

• Conservative and surgical treatment of defects of development of extremities and neuromuscular diseases

• Lengthening of extremities and their proof-reading at children's and teen-age age

• Rehabilitation of children and adults with disability

• Conservative and surgical treatment of traumas of the support and locomotion system, in particular SPORTS injuries and traumas

• Arthroscopic operations

• Surgical treatment of infectious diseases of the bone and joint

• Technical orthopedic support

• Treatment of osteoporosis

Out-patient treatment

• Pediatric orthopedics

• Fixation orthopedics

• Oncological orthopedics

• Outpatient station for patients with

• total articular replacement

• disease of the backbone

• disease of the muscular system

• disease of the shoulder-girdle

• disease of the knee joint

• Outpatient station for patients with pain syndrome

• Rheumatologic outpatient station

• Foot disease

Urology

Head

Prof. Dr. med. Gerhard Jakze

Professor Jakze is among the greatest European urologists, a member of numerous international professional associations of urology and oncology, is on the board of the European Association of Urology, the European school of oncology. Moreover, he is a research worker and the constant author of almost all international professional editions as well as the consultant of the Italian Ministry of Research and Universities.

Treatment of oncological diseases is the main area of specialization of the urological clinic of the University Hospital Aachen. In this direction the clinic works in collaboration with pharmacologists, radiooncologists, pathologists and psychooncologists. The clinic has 56 beds with specialization in oncology.

Surgical methods of treatment are supported by versatile therapy. In particular, the newest techniques are used thanks to the constant scientific exchange of the German local tumor centre, regional urooncological district, German cancer association and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC). The European School of Oncology (ESO) regularly carries out surgical courses at the Aachen urological clinic that allow supporting operational techniques at the highest level. Some tumors (sarcomas, children's tumors) or completely recidivation tumors are treated interdisciplinary by the methods of inter-operational irradiations, high-dose chemotherapy with separation of stem cells.

Carcinoma of the prostate and carcinoma of the bladder are examined within oncological treatment. In addition, immunocytochemical researches of detection of cells of carcinoma of the prostate in the bone marrow and peripheral blood are carried out on the basis of those researches.

At the clinic the whole spectrum of clinical, laboratory, functional, ultrasonic, and radiological diagnostics are carried out in inpatient and out-patient modes. The clinic is equipped by modern diagnostic equipment, including computer system of urodynamic diagnostics, the apparatus of three-dimensional ultrasonic research, computer tumor register and other apparatus allowing to carry out exact diagnostics within a short time.

The basic areas of specialization are:

• Radical surgery of urological tumor diseases, including radical retropubish and perineal prostatectomy

• Carrying out nerve preserving surgical operations by urological diseases

• Prosthetics of the bladder by various methods

• Carrying out laparoscopic and retroperitoneoscopic operations in urology

• Urological microsurgery, including refertilization

• Transsexual surgery

• Plastic regenerative and reconstructive surgery of the penis

• Carrying out of children's operations in urology

• Minimally invasive therapy, including laser ablation of the prostate

• Laser endoscopic division of uric stones

• Microwave non-surgical division of nephrolithiasis stones

• Urological prosthetics

• Kidney transplantation

• Shunt surgery and implantation of the CAPD catheter

• Immunological and cytostatic therapy of urological tumors

• Inpatient and outpatient diagnostics of erectile impotence

• Prostatitis therapy

The Urology Clinic of the University Hospital Aachen applies non-surgical treatment of prostate carcinoma in collaboration with the radiotherapy clinic:

• External radiotherapy

• Afterloading therapy, a method of short-term high-dose exposure to radiation

• Brachytherapy, implantation of tiny radioactive particles into the prostate

Neurosurgery clinic

Department head

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Joachim Michael Gilsbach.

The Neurosurgery Clinic of the University Hospital Aachen specializes in the treatment of spinal cord and spine diseases and peripheral nervous system diseases. The clinic has 62 inpatient beds and 14 beds of the special neurosurgical intensive care unit.

The clinic specialists carry on diagnostics and treatment of the following diseases at the highest level:

• Central and peripheral pain syndrome

• Spinal cord ischemia diseases

• Brain and brain membrane tumors

• Cranial tumors, including the skull base

• Developmental disorders of brain vessels and brain membranes

• Craniocerebral injury

• Children's and adults' brain and spinal cord diseases

• Spinal diseases with neurological symptoms of irritation and disk prolapse, intervertebral hernia

• Tumors and vascular anomalies of the spinal cord, nerve roots and nerve root membranes

More than 3000 inpatients receive treatment at the clinic annually and more than 4000 outpatients come to Aachen from all over the world for treatment. Since the 90s methods of surgical intervention are successfully used at the neurosurgical clinic.

Neuronavigation

The neuro-navigation system was successfully used for patients with serious neurosurgical diseases while carrying out operations in places difficult of access. Operations are carried out under local anesthesia through the introduction of the catheter with the navigation administration and give great results for adenoma excision and backbone operations, particularly by the need of connection of the bone tissue by means of “special screws”

Neurologic clinic

Head

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Johannes Noth

The clinic is conducted conservative treatment of spinal and brain diseases, peripheral nerves and skeletal muscles of adults, infectious and other inflammatory diseases of the nervous system. Multiple sclerosis, degenerative diseases, epilepsy, and sleep disorders are main clinical directions.