Heidelberg Pancreas Center leads globally
December 2015
Treatment and research of pancreatic diseases on a constantly high level: The Heidelberg University Hospital Surgery Center was repeatedly certified as a “Center of Excellence for Surgical Diseases of the Pancreas”. The European Pancreas Center at Heidelberg is one of the leading facilities of this kind worldwide.
The Heidelberg University Hospital Surgical Center and the European Pancreas Center located there is an outstanding address for diseases of the pancreas. The German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV) has confirmed this again after a comprehensive audit. Consequently, this facility retains the title “Excellence Center for Surgical Diseases of the Pancreas” where patients are cared for according to prescribed high-quality standards and benefit from the wide experience of the treatment team. The European Pancreas Center at Heidelberg received the certification as a Center of Excellence in 2012 from the DGAV; other quality audits will take place every three years. The first follow-up audit this year disclosed that in patient care, surgical intervention, but also in the research of pancreatic diseases, this center maintains a consistently high level of quality. “This confirmation of our work to date motivates us to consistently improve our diagnostic skills and treatment even further”, says Professor Dr. Markus W. Büchler, the Center’s Managing Director.
European Pancreas Center in Heidelberg is a global leader
No other German hospital has more experience in the treatment of inflammations and cancer diseases of the pancreas; worldwide the European Pancreas Center at Heidelberg is one of the leading institutions of its kind: The well-integrated team of specialists look after about 2000 patients a year and perform more than 700 operations on the pancreas. “We see fairly rare diseases more often, this is why we have extensive experience in their treatment”, explains Professor Büchler. “This also means a great deal of expertise in surgical interventions which are only rarely performed elsewhere.”
In addition to a certain minimum number of operations and the necessary infrastructure for diagnosing and treating pancreatic diseases, recognition as a center of excellence requires the interdisciplinary treatment of patients in particular“, explains Prof. Dr. Thilo Hackert, head of the Pancreas Surgery Unit. At the European pancreas Center in Heidelberg, surgeons collaborate with cancer specialists, radiotherapists, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists and pathologists, as well as with radiologists, anesthesiologists and internists.
Patients benefit from the latest treatments in clinical trials
Moreover, the DGAV demands extensive research activities, including clinical trials, from a center of excellence. In the lab at the Heidelberg Center, about 30 researchers and lab workers do research on possible molecular and genetic causes of pancreatic cancer and work on the development of new forms of treatment, which are offered to patients within the framework of clinical trials. For this reason, the experts collaborate with researchers and physicians of the Heidelberg National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT), the University of Heidelberg, and the Clinical Trials Center of the German Society for Surgery (SDGC).
The number of severe diseases of the pancreas – inflammations and malignant tumors – have increased in recent years. Pancreatic cancer is still a very aggressive tumor with a poor prognosis. The European Pancreas Center in Heidelberg plays a pioneering role in pancreas surgery and is an outstanding address for those afflicted with these diseases.
Further Information:
Welcome to the European Pancreas Center