University Hospital Erlangen

Capacity — 1,378 beds.

Specialisations: dermatology, diabetology, gastroenterology, visceral surgery, gyencology, neurology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, palliative therapy, pediatrics, plastic surgery, anesthesiology, cardiology, physiology, rheumatology, traumatology, urology, pulmonology, oncology, radiology.

Since its founding in 1815, the University Hospital Erlangen has offered high-quality medical care. In the diagnostics and therapy, the latest medical research results and the most modern devices are used.

University scientists develop new treatment options and strive to ensure that their results benefit patients as much as possible. In spring 2012, an infrastructure course was set up for successful, patient-oriented research and patient care, which has already been implemented. Scientists continue to organise the conducive research environment for successful participation in numerous national and international studies.

The University Hospital Erlangen provides comprehensive treatment for patients with tumours at any age. Specialists from different disciplines determine the best methods of treatment for each patient.

Specialised cancer centres have been established to treat certain types of cancer. Different branches were united, they formed a certified oncological centre. At present, patients with oncological diseases are provided treatment in accordance to the recommendations of the German Cancer Society (DKG).

The Cancer Center is closely linked to the Interdisciplinary Integrated Cancer Center Erlangen-EMN. Built on principle of tripartite care, the ICC ER-EMN is the best centre with a combination of healthcare, research and training. It acts as a common interdisciplinary platform for participating clinics, institutes and departments. The centre offers its patients advanced methods of treatment of oncological diseases.

More than 11,000, including about 650 seriously ill patients, are currently waiting for an opportunity to receive a donor organ at the University Hospital Erlangen. The hospital's staff accompany the patients in their, often long, journey — from a "donor queue" to the post-operative care and support.

The following organ and tissue transplants are performed at the University Hospital Erlangen for adults and children:

• Heart
• Kidney
• Pancreas
• Combined pancreas/kidney transplantation
• Cornea
• Bone marrow / stem cells

About a third of all kidney transplants in Germany are possible thanks to the donation of a living kidney. This usually means that a close relative gives one of his two healthy kidneys to the patient. This is also possible with different blood groups: with this form of living kidney donation, the specialists of the University Hospital Erlangen have the most extensive experience in Bavaria since 2006.

In addition to organ transplantation, the University Hospital Erlangen pays special attention to the transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. It involves the transfer of hematopoietic progenitor cells that are capable of developing into different blood cells. For many patients with leukemia, this therapy is the only chance for recovery. The more important is the search for an individualised donor whose tissue characteristics correspond to the characteristics of the recipient. Since 2011, experts at the University Hospital Erlangen have been offering autologous (retransmitting their own stem cells) and allogeneic (stem cells from a suitable donor) stem cell transplants, as well as cord blood transfer. The most innovative method is the transplantation of haploidentical stem cells.

The Erlangen-Nuremberg Transplantation Center is one of the two main Bavarian transplant centres together with the centre in Munich-Großhadern. Doctors of all disciplines involved in the transplantation process work closely together for the welfare of donors and recipients, as well as for the optimisation and success of procedures. The process is coordinated by the transplant centre office. It also maintains contacts with the Eurotransplant agency and with the organ donation coordination office — the German organ transplantation fund.

Since the founding of the Transplantation Center in Erlangen-Nuremberg in 1966, more than 3,800 organ transplants have been performed.

Since summer 2012, doctors from various disciplines at the University Hospital Erlangen have used a modern surgical system "Da Vinci" — for minimally invasive procedures. The surgeon controls the device: every minute the movements of his hands are transmitted in real time, without shaking, extremely precisely performing the surgery. The four-handed device is still the only one in Central Franconia and makes possible extremely precise and gentle surgery possible, even in hard-to-reach areas of the body.

Research and teaching at the University Hospital Erlangen are among the main tasks of the medical faculty of the University. Friedrich-Alexander Erlangen-Nuremberg. It consists of preclinical and clinical theoretical institutes, as well as a university hospital. The core idea is a close interdisciplinary interaction between experimental and clinical research. The result of this approach is numerous collaborative research centres and interdisciplinary research networks. Currently, more than 3,560 students are studying in the field of human medicine, management of medical processes, dentistry and molecular medicine.

Hospital patients are the first to receive new treatment methods. In particularly difficult cases, doctors often offer new procedures that are not available elsewhere.