Luzerner Kantonsspital, Lucerne

Luzerner Kantonsspital – a tertiary referral center near to your heart - with academic competence

Luzerner Kantonsspital comprises the central hospital in Lucerne, secondary care hospitals in Wolhusen and Sursee as well as Luzerner Höhenklinik Montana. In our hospitals 5’500 employees care for over 36’000 inpatients and more than 140’000 outpatients per year. It is one of the largest hospital systems in Switzerland providing 900 beds for acute care for a population of 500’000.

Luzerner Kantonsspital is an academic teaching hospital committed to scientifically founded evidence based medicine. Methods and results are regularly published in renowned scientific journals.

Luzerner Kantonsspital stands for state of the art diagnostics and treatment in all areas of contemporary medicine.

The following specialities are of special interest to our foreign patients:

• Trauma Center
• Orthopedic surgery of hip and pelvis
• Visceral surgery
• Neuro surgery
• Spinal surgery
• Urology
• Pediatric surgery at the children’s hospital of Luzerner Kantonsspital
• Gynecology
• Ear nose throat and facial surgery
• Eye surgery
• Radiology and nuclear medicine
• Pain therapy and palliative medicine

Admission to a hospital is an important episode in life. With respect, special knowledge and foresight our staff strife to make this episode short, comfortable and harmonious. This is a promise.

Additional information: www.luks.ch

Luzerner Kantonsspital – smiling competence

TRAUMA CENTER

Activities are centered on patients with trauma injuries. Trauma surgeons provide highly specialized diagnostics and treatments for a complete range of acute injuries after traffic- occupational and sports accidents. The trauma team operates within the department of orthopedic and trauma surgery which also houses the respective subspecialists for surgery of shoulder, elbow, spine pelvis, knee, foot, surgery for the aged and sports medicine. Our team specializes in treatment of injuries to the loco-motor system and soft tissues and their sequelae. Trauma victims are treated in close cooperation with other surgical specialties such as plastic and reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, spinal surgery, cardio-vascular and thoracic surgery, maxillo-facial surgery, orthopedic surgery and urology. Trauma surgeons take the lead in the entire care of trauma patients from the emergency room to final rehabilitation.

Trauma, orthopedic and interdisciplinary spinal surgery run an 80 bed unit where the entire spectrum of trauma and orthopedic treatment options is available. This encompasses in- and outpatient treatment of injuries to upper and lower extremities and their joints, trauma to the vertebral column, pelvis, hand and the respective soft tissue structures including treatment of sequelae of the original injuries.

Diagnostic spectrum:

• High performance CT (256 lines)
• MRI (3Tesla)
• Intraoperative 3D imaging including navigation
• SPECT-CT
• PET-CT

Treatment modalities:

• Treatment of multiple trauma (certified interregional trauma center DGU)
• The entire spectrum of modern operative and conservative methods for treatment of bone fractures
• Minimally invasive techniques of operative reduction and internal fixation using fixed angle locking implants
• Arthroscopic surgery for shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee, and ankle
• Minimally invasive spinal surgery in cooperation with the “Swiss Paraplegics Centre”
• Special center for trauma in the aged population

ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY OF HIP AND PELVIS

The locations of the Luzerner Kantonsspital, Lucerne and Wolhusen have much to offer in the field of hip and pelvis surgery. The hospital in Wolhusen enjoys an excellent reputation as a national orthopedics center with a wealth of experience in hip arthroscopy.
Another attraction of the hospital of Wolhusen is that it is located in the immediate vicinity of a UNESCO Biosphere reserve.

The hospital in Lucerne is one of the world’s leading institutions in the field of hip joint preserving surgery.

Specializations: Hip arthroscopy (Wolhusen), open and arthroscopic therapy for femoro-acetabular impingement, pelvic osteotomy for dysplasia of the hip (Lucerne).

VISCERAL SURGERY

Visceral surgery covers surgery of abdominal organs (digestive tract), abdominal wall (hernias: Groin, umbilical, incisional) and of hormone producing glands (thyroid, adrenal) as well as surgery of the breast in the context of an interdisciplinary center.

All complex cases are discussed and treated by an interdisciplinary team of specialists (surgery, gastro-enterology, endocrinology, oncology, radio-oncology).

• Gut-/pancreas center: We are the only certified pancreas center in Switzerland
• Obesity Center Central Switzerland: We are the only reference center (SMOB*) in Central Switzerland (locations in Lucerne and Sursee) and one of the largest in Switzerland. We take a leading role in treatment of obese children and juveniles.
• Proctology: We offer the whole spectrum including sacral nerve stimulation (SNS) for incontinence. SNS is monitored and documented by the Swiss Society for Proctotogy.
• Gastro-intestinal center: Comprehensive approach in an interdisciplinary team for diagnostics, acute treatment and follow up. Fast-track colon surgery.
• Our visceral surgery department is among the largest in Switzerland.

*SMOB: Swiss Society for the Study of Morbid Obesity and Metabolic Disorders. This society is responsible for the establishment of comprehensive treatment pathways and quality control. (Treatment guidelines, accreditation of bariatric centers).

NEUROSURGERY

The neurosurgery department of Luzerner Kantonsspital offers outstanding expertise in the treatment of spinal cord tumors. Dr. Karl F. Kothbauer is an US trained specialist for intramedullary spinal cord surgery in adults and children. Within the department he has developed a modern infrastructure and a competent and highly motivated team. Dr. Kothbauer is a leading international expert for pediatric neurosurgery and neurosurgical endoscopy.

SPINAL SURGERY

Our spine team cooperates widely and thus with outstanding competence on an interdisciplinary basis in the context of the “SWRZ” (Schweizer Wirbelsäulen- und Rückenmark-Zentrum) with spinal surgery and orthopedic surgery at the “Swiss Paraplegic Centre” Nottwil. Both institutions have Dr. Martin Baur, surgeon and neurosurgeon and Dr. Markus Noger (orthopedic surgery Luzerner Kantonsspital) and Dr. Tobias Pötzel (orthopedic surgery SPC) as joint chief medical officers. This results in a high case load and correspondingly in high expertise in the entire field of spinal surgery with interregional and international referrals. The team also offers high quality multi-disciplinary evaluation and conservative treatment of lower back pain. There is leading expertise and long standing experience in minimally invasive spinal surgery (presently about 50% of all operations for fusion) with small ventral, lateral or dorsal access as well as in reconstructions for acquired deformities and dysbalances. There is longstanding experience in the treatment of acute and chronic complications in paraplegic patients.

Therefore specific services of the spine center include

• Interdisciplinary approach: neurosurgery and orthopedic surgery
• Complex spinal diagnostics including diagnostics in scoliosis patients (EOS)
• Conservative treatment
• Trauma to the entire vertebral column and spinal cord
• Osteoporotic fractures of and collapse of the vertebrae
• Degenerative diseases of the vertebral column
• Deformities of the vertebral column and operations for posttraumatic correction
• Surgery for degenerative and adult scoliosis
• Infection of the spine
• Inflammatory rheumatic diseases of the spine
• Spinal tumors
• Diseases of the spinal cord and it’s covering sheaths
• Minimally invasive microsurgery
• Interventional / interdisciplinary treatment of pain
• Rehabilitation
• Quality control, research and development, continuing education
• Not in the portfolio, restricted to specially dedicated centers: multi-segment surgery of scoliosis in children, neuro-muscular disease in children and corrections to the axial skeleton.

UROLOGY

In acquiring a da Vinci robot, the Urology department at the Cantonal Hospital of Lucerne has taken a further step towards successfully combating prostate cancer. The ultra-modern da Vinci operating system helps the surgeon to operate on tumors with even higher precision, thanks to three-dimensional camera and robot technology. All operations are carried out by a small, highly trained and experienced team in accordance with the strictest scientific quality standards. As a result, the team achieves excellent results which are published and which compare favorably with internationally recognized reference centers.

Specializations: Minimally-invasive and nerve-protecting operation techniques for localized prostate cancer, correction of constrictions of the renal pelvis, cystectomy and urinary drainage.

PEDIATRIC SURGERY DEPT. AT THE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF LUZERNER KANTONSSPITAL

The pediatric surgery department of the children’s hospital at Luzerner Kantonsspital is the reference center of Central Switzerland for pediatric surgical disease such as congenital malformations, diseases of the urinary tract, trauma and gastro intestinal disease.

Other specialties include tumors and neurosurgical diseases in children and adolescents, orthopedics in children, minimally invasive techniques in all age groups including newborns and infants.

Pediatric surgical problems in all age groups from premature birth to adolescence are evaluated and treated by competent specialists.

GYNECOLOGY

“Neue Frauenklinik” (NFK) is a tertiary referral hospital with centers for perinatology, breast cancer, incontinence and affections of the pelvic floor, reproductive medicine and gynecological oncology. Our breast and pelvic floor centers are internationally certified for quality. NFK is a member of the UK National Health Service.

Specializations: Tumor surgery and adapted reconstructive surgery in breast cancer patients, surgery of prolapse and incontinence, endoscopic hysterectomy, gynecological cancer surgery, operations for endometriosis, center of reproductive medicine, operative endoscopy and robotic surgery.

Our physicians communicate in German, English, Italian, French, Portuguese and Indonesian.

EAR NOSE THROAT and FACIAL SURGERY

The ear, nose and throat department (www.ent-professionals.ch) at the Luzerner Kantonsspital offers patients a wealth of experience, thanks to its long-serving consultants, ultramodern operating theaters and high-quality treatment of a number of ear, nose and throat disorders, with a focus on ear and thyroid surgery. A large number of international experts in this field visit the ear, nose and throat department regularly in order to learn more about the methods of treatment practiced here. Patients are advised and treated in a very personal atmosphere and the department takes account of their concerns and wishes. The clinic has also already treated many patients from abroad.

Specializations: Otology including implantable hearing systems, lateral skull-base surgery and surgery of the facial nerve, thyroid and parathyroid surgery, salivary gland stones.

EYE SURGERY

With nearly 8,700 operations a year, the eye surgery department in Lucerne is the largest operating eye clinic in Switzerland, uniting all areas of ophthalmology under one roof. The high level of specialization and the concentration of know-how ensure first-class treatment. The eye clinic offers patients both a personal atmosphere and an efficient infrastructure. As the only ophthalmological institution in Central Switzerland the eye clinic provides a 24-hour emergency service to inpatients and outpatients referred by a doctor.

Specialization: cataract operations

RADIOLOGY / NUCLEAR MEDICINE

The Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine at the Luzerner Kantonsspital offers a complete spectrum of modern imaging techniques. Patients can expect a pleasant atmosphere during examinations, top-quality images and rapid results. With its PET/CT and Flash CT, the Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine disposes of high-end equipment that enables the rapid investigation of tumors and cardiovascular diseases.

Specializations: Tumor diagnostics / investigation for dementia with PET/CT, cardiac CT, joint MRI, mammography.

PAIN THERAPY and PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

The Pain Unit and the Pain Ambulatory Service at the Luzerner Kantonsspital take care of inpatients before and after their operations. Apart from treating acute pain, the Pain Unit concentrates on the early treatment of patients with chronic pain. This high-quality treatment takes into account the individual needs of each patient. The Pain Ambulatory Service cares for inpatients and, in particular, outpatients suffering from tumors. The aim is to offer the best possible pain treatment, thus allowing inpatients to leave hospital within a short time. Good quality of life for palliative patients surrounded by their family is made possible thanks to close internal and external cooperation with various specialists.

Specializations: Pain therapy (acute and chronic, movement pain and cancer pain), palliative care (quality of life at the end of a person’s life).