Central department of anaesthesia and surgical intensive care unit (SICU)

The department is responsible for analgesia during operations and the controlling, maintenance and restoration of vital functions (circulation, respiration, excretion, metabolic activity) before, during and after surgical and diagnostic procedures as well as accidents. All established anaesthetic procedures including regional anaesthesia are used.

Patients in the multi-disciplinary intensive care unit are controlled as to haemodynamics and respiration and are treated accordingly. In case of a collapse of the renal functions a variety of procedures for kidney replacement are employed in collaboration with the department of nephrology.

In case of non-acute operations with foreseeable blood loss, procedures avoiding the transfusion of foreign blood, such as the withdrawal of the patient's own blood and Cell-Saver, are employed. Our services also include preoperative pulmonary function tests as well as postoperative respiratory and inhalation therapy. In case of a dysfunction of the iron metabolism, erythrocytapheresis is employed in collaboration with the department of clinical medicine.

The outpatient pain clinic provides a vast variety of therapeutic and diagnostic procedures for acute and chronic painful conditions. Close collaboration with consultants from a diversity of special fields guarantee optimal attendance. Psychological and psychosomatic aspects of painful conditions are always taken into account.