Clarunis - Certified Oesophageal Cancer Centre

A centre where the oesophagus is the focus of medical attention - that is a global rarity. In Prof. Müller and PD Dr med. Martin Bolli, the Oesophageal Cancer Centre at the Clarunis University Centre for Abdominal Diseases in Basel has no less than two internationally renowned high-performance physicians who specialise in the oesophagus - the tube that plays a central role in transporting food from the mouth to the stomach. This is good news for patients with oesophageal cancer in the Basel region, precisely because operations on this muscular tube are particularly complex. According to the certification of the German Cancer Society, this is the case because patients benefit "from treatment in accordance with the highest international quality guidelines".

The Clarunis University Centre for Abdominal Diseases in Basel offers treatment for the entire abdominal area based on the latest findings and goes far beyond classic basic care. Here, internationally renowned specialists in gastroenterology, hepatology and visceral surgery work in close interdisciplinary collaboration. Therefore, anyone who comes here with problems of the oesophagus can be sure that there is guaranteed top-class care at the certified oesophageal centre, provided by proven specialists - in the case of heartburn, bulging or functional disorders.

Oesophagus: Diagnostics as the basis for medical success

It starts with diagnostics, where the two specialists primarily rely on gentle gastroscopy procedures to clarify complaints. Sometimes only a biopsy can provide information, because when it comes to oesophageal cancer in particular, tissue sampling is considered the most informative diagnostic method. The most modern endoscopic procedures are used here, whereby tissue samples are taken almost painlessly. Of course, X-ray examinations are also part of the diagnostics - as well as functional clarifications in case of movement disorders, which are carried out through manometry, i.e. by measuring pressure.

Wide range of services: From reflux to diverticula

A high-class diagnosis is also very important for reflux - if acidic stomach contents irritate the oesophagus, inflammation often results from this, which can produce malignant tissue changes. Therefore, a thorough investigation is carried out: Is it enough to change lifestyle habits? Is drug therapy the right thing to do - or surgery? Equally unpleasant are oesophageal diverticula - bulges in the oesophagus, which usually lead to swallowing difficulties.

But the most important topic at the centre is oesophageal cancer, which usually requires complex surgical procedures. This cancer also calls for highly specialised visceral surgery in the eyes of Swiss health care: As part of the Visceral Oncology Centre, the Oesophageal Cancer Centre is one of the selected institutions that have a performance mandate - for six years - according to the Swiss decision-making body. Because here, all requirements are far exceeded - in case numbers, structural and process quality and also in relation to teaching, further training and research.

In addition, the Oesophageal Cancer Centre has been certified by the German Cancer Society (DKG); for three days, DKG reviewers endeavoured to prove for themselves that there was interdisciplinary and inter-professional cooperation. The certificate provides assurance that anyone confronted with a diagnosis of oesophageal cancer can expect highly specialised medical care here, with excellent expertise in everything from diagnostics to laparoscopic surgical techniques and aftercare.

Oesophageal cancer often only becomes apparent at a late stage, which is why novel examination techniques and individual treatment concepts are particularly important. Twice a week, therefore, the tumour board decides together which course of action is best - for example, whether radiation or chemotherapy should be carried out before the operation.

Innovative keyhole surgery

Most operations in Basel are carried out using keyhole surgery. This complex, highly demanding procedure is often performed through the abdomen and chest, and it also requires close cooperation with anaesthesia and intensive care specialists. Usually part of the oesophagus is removed, but sometimes use of metal stents can allow at least normal food intake. To restore the passage of food, a part of the stomach and intestine are joined together if necessary - not an easy operation, but simply because this operation is performed frequently here, the competence centre has an extremely low rate of complications.

Prof. Dr. med. Beat Müller, medical director of the visceral surgery department, is also considered an internationally recognised specialist in matters of the pancreas, colorectal surgery and the entire gastrointestinal tract. His expertise is in demand at home and abroad particularly in cancer diseases, as is also shown by his memberships in important professional societies. As such, he is part of the professional body for national planning of highly specialised medicine and a member of the American Society of Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT) and the International Society of Surgery (ISS). As a member of the Executive Board at Clarunis University Centre for Abdominal Diseases in Basel, he is one of the leading figures in that innovative institution. Prof. vMüller studied in Bern, worked as an assistant physician in Lucerne and came to Basel as early as 1989, where he became head of the surgical clinic and medical director in the visceral surgery department at the Claraspital in 2003. He is also involved in teaching and research and repeatedly draws attention to himself with groundbreaking lectures and important publications.

As deputy medical director of the visceral surgery department at the Claraspital, PD Dr. med. Martin Bolli has specialised not only in the oesophagus but also in pancreatic surgery as well as liver and gall bladder surgery, and is considered a pioneer in robotic surgery. He completed his studies in Zurich and came to the University Hospital Basel in 1999 as an assistant physician. After several posts as consultant and medical director, including further training in the USA, he returned to Basel in 2015 as head physician for surgery at the Claraspital. PD Dr Bolli has authored several pioneering publications and lectures, as well as being a member of several important professional societies – such as the Swiss Medical Association (FMH), the German as well as the Swiss Societies for Visceral Surgery, and the International Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association (IHPBA).