25,000 heart operations since the establishment of cardiac and thoracic surgery at Magdeburg University Hospital
29 years ago, on 19 September 1995, the first heart operation was performed at Magdeburg University Hospital. Since then, the clinic has developed into a renowned centre. With more than 25,000 heart-lung machine operations performed, the clinic can look back on a remarkable history of medical care and innovation.
Prof. Jens Wippermann, MD, who has been Head of the University Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Magdeburg since 1 April 2017, and his team are proud of the patient care they have provided to date. Prof. Wippermann says: ‘Compared to many other medical disciplines, cardiac surgery is a relatively young speciality that was only recognised as an independent discipline in 1993. Since then, the Clinic for Cardiothoracic Surgery in Magdeburg has developed impressively.’
Photo: The heart team at Magdeburg University Hospital during a heart operation.
Photographer: Sarah Kossmann/UMMD
One of the clinic's main focuses today is on performing very complex heart operations, often as a second procedure, with a particular focus on the treatment of heart valve prostheses with inflammatory changes (endocarditis).
‘At the end of every day, the aim is to be able to offer every patient the best possible and most promising treatment option in our clinic. A team of highly experienced cardiologists, anaesthesiologists, nurses and surgeons strive to achieve this every day,’ says Prof. Wippermann.
Looking to the near future, Magdeburg University Medical Centre will be able to further expand on this goal. The Heart Centre, which is currently under construction and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2026, will further combine all of these skills and thus become a milestone in the medical care of patients with heart disease. The future Heart Centre will house the University Clinic for Cardiology and Angiology Magdeburg and the University Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Magdeburg.
The treatment spectrum of the University Clinic for Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery Magdeburg
- The clinic also specialises in minimally invasive aortic and mitral valve surgery. Here, the heart is accessed via a small ‘keyhole’, which is particularly gentle on the patient.
- In bypass surgery, the clinic is increasingly using minimally invasive procedures and operations on the beating heart. Both methods lead to effective and long-term good blood circulation in the coronary arteries.
- Another unique feature of the clinic is the treatment of patients with end-stage heart failure. This is carried out in close coordination with the cardiological partners. State-of-the-art technologies such as ECMO, Impella and artificial hearts are used here. These support systems are crucial for the successful treatment of advanced heart failure and are life-saving for affected patients.
- Aortic surgery covers the entire spectrum of thoracic aortic diseases. Modern hybrid techniques and endovascular procedures are used in close consultation with the radiology and vascular surgery departments. This interdisciplinary approach enables effective treatment of the most complex pathologies and individualised patient care.
- The clinic also specialises in surgery for adults with congenital heart defects (EMAH).