Wellbeing - New heart surgery operating theater inaugurated at the hospital in Karlsburg.
In a sci-fi film, a robot arm, measuring around three meters in length, moves across an operating table. On Friday, a grand opening for a new heart operation room took place at the hospital in Karlsburg (Vorpommern-Greifswald). State Health Minister Stefanie Drese (SPD) was also present. She was amazed by the highly advanced operating room. The state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern contributed 2.5 million euros to this project, with a total cost of over four million euros.
Minister Drese justified the investment, stating that "This is well-invested money, as the Karlsburg Clinic is a specialized medical center in the Vorpommern-Greifswald region." The hospital has made a name for itself and is considered a top medical facility.
One key factor contributing to this million-dollar investment was the limited capacity of the existing operating rooms. The hybrid operating room was already near its limit, allowing only select patients with medium to high surgical risk to be treated. The number of patients has also increased.
A defining aspect of a hybrid operating room is its imaging device. This new technology permits surgeons to perform operations without requiring open incisions, as with traditional surgeries. Heart surgeries such as those on the aortic heart valve can be carried out via the groin area using catheters. The clinic treated around 400 patients using this procedure in the past year. It has been performed at Karlsburg for approximately 15 years.
"Medicine is becoming more gentle," stated Wolfgang Motz, medical director of the hospital. He foresees a future where large, invasive surgeries involving opening the entire chest cavity will be gradually replaced by modern, interventional techniques. The clinic in Karlsburg is on par with renowned medical institutions in major cities like Berlin and Hamburg.
The institution now features two hybrid operating rooms and three other heart operating rooms. Its workforce consists of approximately 550 employees.
