University hospital Bonn
Bonn, Germany 
Head of the Department
Prof. Dr. Jörg C. Kalff
Department of General, Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery
Department of General, Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at University Hospital Bonn offers care for patients with diseases that require surgery affecting the organs located in the abdominal and thoracic cavities as well as the blood vessels. The department consists of 99 beds and has a medical team of 40 doctors and 100 members of nursing staff. With its cutting-edge equipment, the department provides services to the full spectrum of patients, from minor risk patients to those with life-threatening conditions. Under the guidance of Prof. Dr. med. Jörg C. Kalff, more than 2,200 inpatients are treated there every year, of which, nearly 180 patients are treated for inguinal hernia and arteriosclerosis.
The Visceral surgical unit of the department is concerned with the surgical treatment of diseases affecting the esophagus, stomach, intestines, spleen, liver, biliary system, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal gland, and pancreas. A special feature of the department is laparoscopic surgery which facilitates operations and reduces the risks as the surgeon has the help of video to guarantee the best outcome of the surgery.
The Thoracic surgical unit of the department is specialized in the surgical treatment of inflammation and tumors affecting the lungs, pleura, ribs, and mediastinum. The laparoscopic technique is also used along with the open surgery. This unit is in cooperation with the Department of Pulmonology to assess the patient’s condition and make sure surgical intervention is the best management line. Departments of pulmonology, oncology, radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, neurosurgery, and cardiac surgery are all in cooperation with this department for the treatment of more aggressive diseases such as tumor infiltration into the pericardium.
The Vascular surgery unit of the department has its main focus directed towards the surgical management of arteries, veins, and lymphatics. Nearly 1,000 procedures are performed annually in this department. 20 beds in the Surgical Ward house are called the Vascular Station where inpatients are cared for. This unit is also in cooperation with the Department of Radiology, Cardiac Surgery, and Interventional Angiology. Such collaborations help the department performs interventions needed to improve the patient’s conditions.
The pediatric surgery unit of the department is one of the two units forming the Center for Pediatric Surgery in Bonn. The unit understands the special care infants, children and adolescents need and offers it to them in a psychologically positive environment. The department is certified by the German Cancer Society as it is the chief partner of the Children's Cancer Center of the University Hospital Bonn. The treatment plans are according to the standards and protocols of the Society of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. It’s also in collaboration with the Department of Pediatric Pedology, Pediatric Radiology, Fetal Surgery and Neonatology to ensure optimal care for patients.
The transplantation surgery unit consists of the specialized medical team and edge-cutting equipment which enables the department to perform successful transplantation surgeries of the liver, kidney, and pancreas. The first successful liver transplantation surgery was in 1969 and since then, more than 35,000 pancreatic transplants, 52 combined kidney and pancreas transplants, and about 400 liver transplants have been performed in the department.
Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery at University Hospital Bonn is specialized in:
Diagnosis and surgical treatment of:
• Gallstones
• Tumors of the liver
• Barret’s esophagus
• Adenocarcinoma
• Appendicitis
• Esophageal carcinoma
• Hirschsprung's disease
• Ileus
• Hiatal hernias
• Goiter
• Liver cirrhosis
• Acute liver failure
• Biliary cirrhosis
• Parathyroiditis
• Pancreatic tumors
• Adrenal gland tumors
• Lung cancer
• Pulmonary emphysema
• Benign lung tumors
• Mesothelioma
• Pleural empyema
• Lung abscess
• Pneumothorax
• Chronic ulcers
Pediatric Surgery for:
• Esophageal atresia
• Malformation of abdominal organs and tract
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Diaphragmatic hernia
• Reflux disease
• Kidney tumors
• Undescended testicles
• Subplevic stenosis
Transplantation of:
• Liver
• Kidney
• Kidney and Pancreas
Curriculum vitae of Prof. Dr. med. Jörg C. Kalff
Education
- 1981 - 1987 Study of Human Medicine, RWTH Aachen.
- 1986 - 1987 George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington DC, USA.
- 1988 Doctoral degree, RWTH Aachen. Thesis: "Evaluation of oxygen absorption by patients on artificial lung ventilation in the intensive care unit by indirect calorimetry and using the Fick principle: a methodical comparison."
- 1999 Habilitation, University of Bonn. Thesis: "Molecular mechanisms of postoperative intestinal motility disorders".
Professional Background
- 1989 - 1999 Head of the Medical Service in the Federal Armed Forces, emergency care in the city of Aurich, Richthofen squadron, Wittmund.
- 1989 Research Associate in the Department of Surgery at the University Hospital Bonn.
- 1991 Visiting Doctor, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, PA, USA.
- 1993 Visiting Doctor, Department of Pediatric Transplantation, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- 1995 Qualified as a Medical Specialist in Surgery.
- Research Associate, Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA (Richard L. Simmons, M.D.).
- Research grant from the German Research Foundation (2 years), "Ischemia/reperfusion injury of the tunica muscularis of the small intestine", Departments of Surgery, Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Senior Physician in the Department of General, Abdominal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at the University Hospital Bonn (Head: Prof. Dr. A. Hirner).
- 1999/2000/2001 Visiting Assistant Research Professor, Department of Internal Medicine/Gastroenterology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- 2001 Board Certification in Vascular Surgery.
- 2002 Board Certification in Abdominal Surgery.
- Since 2003, Scientific Director of the Clinical Research Group 115 of the German Research Foundation (Molecular and cellular basis of bowel pathophysiology after surgical interventions).
- 2003 Invitation to C3 Professorship (postoperative pathophysiology), University of Bonn.
- 2005 Leading Senior Physician in the Department of General, Abdominal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at the University Hospital Bonn (Head: Prof., Dr. A. Hirner).
- 2007 Additional qualifications in Proctology.
- 2009 Head of the Section of Transplantation and Hepatobiliary Surgery in the Department of General, Abdominal, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery at the University Hospital Bonn.
- 2010 Invitation to the position of W3 Professor of General and Thoracic Surgery, University of Kiel.
- 2010 Invitation to the position of W3 Professor of General and Abdominal Surgery, University of Bonn.
Membership and Review Activities in Professional Societies
- 1991 German Society of Surgery
- 1993 German Society of Transplantology.
- 1998 Professional Association of German Surgeons.
- 2000 Berlin Surgical Society, Association of Surgeons of Berlin and Brandenburg.
- 2000 German Society of Abdominal Surgery.
- 2001 Surgical Studies Section of the German Society of Surgery.
- Association of German Universities.
- Member of the American College of Surgeons (FACS)
Department of General, Visceral, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery
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