German National Joint Center Heidelberg – Center for Hip, Knee and Ankle Surgery

When the Center for Hip, Knee and Ankle Surgery of the National Joint Center Heidelberg was established in 1997, the facility at the ATOS Clinic already had a first-class international reputation: Here, highly specialized specialists find exactly the right treatment even when therapies elsewhere have already failed. Today, two absolute specialists for the hip, knee and ankle embody the institution's worldwide reputation at university level: Prof. Holger Schmitt and Prof. Rudi G. Bitsch.

When it comes to particularly complex diseases or injuries of the hip, knee and ankle in the Heidelberg area, many patients rely on a facility that has been established for many years: The Center for Hip, Knee and Ankle Surgery at the National Joint Center Heidelberg has an experienced team - with both specialists in turn having their own specialty.

Clear specialization: hip, knee, ankle joint

Anyone who turns to the hip, knee and ankle specialists in Heidelberg generally wants to regain the greatest possible mobility. Whether it's a question of returning to everyday life at work or at home, or whether top athletes want to achieve top performance again, it doesn't matter to the specialists: all patients at the renowned institution suffer from limited mobility. And it happens time and again that treatment elsewhere has already failed. This is precisely why the center with its exceptional specialists is known far beyond the region.

The team - these are the two proven specialists:

Prof. Rudi G. Bitsch is a specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery - and in special orthopedic surgery. He has an enormous reputation in his special field of hip and knee endoprosthetics. He is known, for example, for implanting artificial joints using particularly gentle surgical methods (DAA, AMIS, ALMIS) and MAKOplasty, or for performing complex replacement surgeries of knee and hip prostheses. From the development to the insertion of high-class joint implants, he attaches great importance to finding the perfect individual solution. Since degeneration of the large joints is one of the most common causes of treatment, Prof. Bitsch believes it is important to provide sound patient advice, often with a focus on lifestyle changes. If it comes to the implantation of an artificial joint, he mostly uses minimally invasive surgical techniques to restore the quality of life with a hip replacement, a knee prosthesis or a partial knee prosthesis (sled prostheses). You can find more information on his homepage.

Prof. Holger Schmitt, specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery, special orthopedic surgery, sports medicine, rheumatology and chirotherapy, has a high level of expertise in joint-preserving interventions on the hip joint - for example in the field of hip arthroscopy. Above all, open and arthroscopic interventions on the knee joint and ankle joint belong to his area of expertise, as for example cruciate ligament replacements and the treatment of meniscus and cartilage damage. He draws on experience from over 10,000 lower extremity procedures. He is equally in demand in endoprosthetics, for example when a knee joint needs to be completely replaced or - with a sled prosthesis - partially replaced. His enormous experience makes him the top doctor for numerous competitive athletes from a wide range of national squads, and he also benefits from his expertise in sports traumatology (muscle and tendon injuries): Prof. Schmitt published the first comprehensive German-language work on sports orthopedics and traumatology in childhood and adolescence.

Clear motto: joint preservation always comes first

At the National Joint Center (DGZ) in Heidelberg, the first priority is always to preserve joints. Even surgery is usually considered a last resort. If, after conscientious examination, surgery is the only sensible solution, gentle minimally invasive procedures are almost always used, which also promote faster healing. And when joint replacement actually becomes necessary, patients in Heidelberg can rely on the specialists to take care of every detail, no matter how small: Endoprostheses should guarantee lasting freedom from pain and absolute patient satisfaction with the greatest possible durability and optimal functionality. To achieve this, the two specialists leave nothing out of consideration, from surgical quality and care to individual preparation and follow-up of the procedure. After all, artificial joints should always be implanted as accurately, stably and gently as possible.

Among specialists: interdisciplinary cooperation

For the two specialists, interdisciplinary collaboration with other experts is also part of their expertise. Thus, they cooperate closely with the specialists responsible for rehabilitation at the ATOS Clinic Heidelberg. Because here, thinking and acting is always interdepartmental - and with the highest standards of "cutting-edge medicine with a hotel ambience". And of course, Prof. Bitsch and Prof. Schmitt are in regular exchange with the Department of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery of Heidelberg's German Joint Center. Because the DGZ focuses on the treatment of all large joints of the musculoskeletal system.

In this way, patients always also receive individually tailored aftercare plans that ensure the success of the surgery. The result is clear: the desired mobility is restored as quickly as possible.