Gastroenterology

Chief Physician and Associate Professor Dr. Peter Schiedermaier is additionally qualified in gastrointestinal oncology. Diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract is a key focus area of the department.

We carry out immune therapies and chemotherapies before or after surgery following the latest findings in medical research. Where surgery is not possible, an immune therapy or chemotherapy or treatment with new medicines may often yield excellent results.

In this context, ambulatory endoscopy plays an important role in early detection of stomach and intestinal cancer. For more radical and safer removal of polyps, we use innovative excision procedures (mucosectomy and endoscopic mucosal resection).

If a cancer is detected, staging is immediately undertaken with high-resolution endoscopy, endosonography, or sonography. This will be the basis for a personalized treatment that is designed specifically for the patient and the stage of the disease.

Interdisciplinary cooperation is of great significance for patients suffering from tumors in the gastrointestinal tract. In the interdisciplinary tumor board, the Internal Medicine 2 and Surgery departments of Nardini Klinikum work closely with the oncology practice of Dr. Stehle as well as the Visceral Surgery and Radiation Oncology departments of the Saarland University Hospital. An individualized treatment strategy is drawn up for every patient.

The treatment is interdisciplinary, multi-modal and follows the latest findings in medical research. Radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and/or chemotherapy are performed before and after operations. Inpatient treatment facilities are available for these therapies. Chemotherapy can also be administered on an outpatient basis by Senior Physician Dr. Kaumann and the oncology practice of Dr. Stehle.

The follow-up phase begins upon completion of the treatment. Follow-up measures can be coordinated in the consulting hour of Chief Physician Dr. Schiedermaier.

Endoscopy involves the use of modern, innovative diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Diagnostics includes early diagnostics of tumors and precancers using high-resolution zoom video endoscopy, chromoendoscopy, digital medical reports, and video documentation.

Endoscopic examinations are performed on the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and colon, as well as the biliary tract and pancreas.

In the biliary tract region, we treat stones in the bile duct and liver, undertake dilatation of benign and malignant strictures, and stabilize them with stents.

In the case of patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis, stenoses are corrected and concrements removed by endoscopic intervention. Endosonography can be used to drain cysts through the stomach.

Placement and removal of intragastric balloons is undertaken as an outpatient procedure.

Sonography is one of the principal imaging techniques in our clinic. The medical devices that we use are so-called high-end systems. They yield high-resolution and particularly vivid images.

Sonographic or endosonographic sampling constitutes a key component of our diagnostic services.

Focus areas for sonography (ultrasound examination) are the thyroid, organs of the throat and neck, and organs of the abdomen. Quantitative abdominal duplex sonography and the very innovative shear-wave elastography are used to estimate the severity of chronic liver disorders. Contrast-enhanced sonography and real-time elastography play a special role in differentiating liver tumors.

The method is used to examine patients who have undergone TIPS (transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic (stent) shunt), a procedure to treat portal hypertension, as well as patients after a liver transplantation.

High-resolution endosonography can be used to diagnose submucosal tumors. The method helps to assess the invasion of cancers. This is important for tumors in the esophagus, stomach and rectum as well as for pancreas and bile duct tumors.

Also guided by sonography are punctures and drainages in the abdomen as well as procedures to destroy tumors in the liver. Liver puncture using a Menghini needle is used to investigate elevated liver enzymes (transaminases).