Prof. Dr med. Herbert Sperling

With Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Sperling, the Maria Hilf clinics in Mönchengladbach have an outstanding specialist for all urology-related issues. With his experience and skills, the chief physician stands for a pioneering development of this versatile and extremely dynamic discipline. He has above all made a name for himself in andrology and uro-oncology thanks to his great knowledge of the most modern tumour therapies for prostate, bladder and kidney cancer. The clinic on the Lower Rhine also fulfilled an in-house directive by appointing him as head of urology, as all of its seventeen specialist departments will now be headed by renowned specialists.

For Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Sperling, urology’s enormous scope makes it a unique field of activity and one in which he has comprehensively covered all of the details at the university level. This specialist field includes diseases of the kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra affecting men as well as women and children. The field of urology includes further diseases that affect men, such as those of the testicles and epididymis, vas deferens, seminal vesicles as well as penis and prostate. Prof. Sperling’s programme even includes the entire field of men’s medicine – also referred to as andrology. Not to forget the field in which Prof. Sperling is renowned nationwide: the treatment of cancer in the above-mentioned body parts.

The Maria Hilf clinics offer medical care of the highest standard in the greater Mönchengladbach area. People from the region have long relied on the respected specialist departments. Despite all this long-standing tradition, however, the promise of receiving patient-oriented, cutting-edge and high-performance medical care makes the expanding maximum-care hospital the perfect place to go today. It is thus fitting that the Maria Hilf clinics also function as an academic teaching hospital of RWTH Aachen University.

Broad spectrum: the entire field of urology

The high concentration of state-of-the-art medical technology available in the Lower Rhine region is particularly evident at the specialist clinic for urology, which treats about 4,000 inpatients per year, making it one of the largest urology clinics in Germany. The clinic, which covers the entire field of andrology, paediatric urology as well as plastic and reconstructive urology, focuses on urological oncology as one of its main specialities. This can be seen in two important facilities that together constitute the Uro-oncology Centre: the Prostate Cancer Centre and the Renal Cell Carcinoma Centre.

The institution has an international reputation in the diagnosis and treatment of tumours of the entire urinary tract – i.e. cancers of the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder, testicles, penis and prostate. Prof. Sperling always does his best to avoid operations and is likewise in high demand for his advanced training courses that cover subjects such as andrology, medicinal tumour therapy and X-ray diagnostics of the urinary tract.

Alongside conservative treatment methods with medication, the specialist’s range of therapies includes the very latest urological surgical methods that always put priority on the preservation of healthy tissue and organ parts.

Prof. Sperling’s team also masters another field of treatment in the fight against urological tumours – namely chemotherapy and immunotherapy of urological tumours performed on both an outpatient and inpatient basis.

Experienced: oncological urology speciality

Prof. Sperling can draw from a whole team of experienced prostate and kidney cancer specialists at the Uro-oncology Centre. Whether it is a matter of comprehensive and targeted diagnostics, selecting the appropriate form of therapy from a wide range of options, or preventive care: the interdisciplinary team offers a unique combination of competence and experience whose reputation extends well beyond the region. Certification by the German Cancer Society underlines the fact that the Maria Hilf clinics provide a high-quality range of uro-oncology therapies.

The high quality of care at the Uro-oncology Centre is also the result of the interdisciplinary approach taken in Mönchengladbach. It is run by the Clinic for Urology as well as the Departments of Radiotherapy, Radiology and Nuclear Medicine – and you can of course rely on the Clinic for Haematology, Oncology and Gastroenterology. As Sperling nevertheless considers it very important for the centre’s success that the interdisciplinary collaboration not be limited to the in-house clinics alone, the centre works closely with urology practices throughout region and with rehabilitation clinics.

Particularity: Uro-oncology Centre

The Prostate Cancer Centre is considered a prime example of an interdisciplinary centre in the patient-specific treatment of prostate cancer. Under the leadership of Prof. Sperling, several clinics at the hospital are helping develop the most effective form of therapy on an interdisciplinary basis here. The fact that prostate cancer is the most common cancer affecting men in our latitudes (and the rate is increasing) underlines the centre’s importance. The centre nevertheless also shows that prostate carcinomas have a relatively good chance of being cured, not least thanks to improved screening and early detection measures. The Mönchengladbach Prostate Cancer Centre has played pioneering role in many areas and was one of the first centres of its kind to be certified by the German Cancer Society (in 2008) – a certification that has been renewed every year since.

The much younger and likewise certified Renal Cell Carcinoma Centre was also founded by Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Sperling, and is dedicated to the efficient detection and highly professional treatment of kidney tumours. As with the Prostate Cancer Centre, interdisciplinary diagnostics and therapy include case discussions at the regularly held tumour conference. This as well as consultation with the relatives ensures that the respective disease is jointly managed, with all the medical disciplines making their contribution to the best possible patient-specific approach.

Sensitive speciality: an empathetic approach to paediatric urology

Paediatric urology also plays an important role in the range of services offered by Prof. Sperling and his team. Dealing with adolescents is a special challenge that requires special expertise – above all when it comes to urology. Prof. Sperling, who is familiar with the complex diseases of the urinary and genital organs of children and adolescents of both sexes, specialises above all in the diagnosis and treatment of congenital malformations, including renal pelvic stenosis, ureteral and urethral malformations, undescended testicles and narrowing of the foreskin – also referred to as phimosis.

Andrology: all the aspects of men’s medicine

Andrology (men’s medicine, considered as the “counterpart” to gynaecology) is a broad field in which Prof. Dr. med. Herbert Sperling has a wealth of clinical and scientific experience as well as international renown. Given that erectile dysfunction is one of the most common complaints of men, recognising the causes of erectile dysfunction can be a first step towards better quality of life. Whether the disease affects the blood vessels or the genital system, whether caused by operations in the urogenital area, diabetes or psychological disorders – erectile dysfunction can usually be treated well and effectively. Provided, of course, that you consult a specialist who knows how to listen, has great expertise and works out an effective therapy in consultation with the affected person or persons. Rather than resorting exclusively to medication or hormones, Prof. Sperling also deploys mechanical aids and is familiar with all kinds of surgical interventions, above all erectile tissue prosthetics.

Male infertility is yet another of the chief physician’s many areas of expertise – with surgical intervention being the last form of therapy he resorts to in such cases. Alongside detailed discussions and examinations, the analysis of the testicles, seminal ducts and seminal fluid as well as the blood’s hormone levels can help determine diagnosis. A common cause is the deficiency of sperm cells in the semen – and Prof. Sperling and his team generally succeed in finding ways to treat this condition too. Whether using “microsurgical epidymal sperm aspiration” (MESA), in which sperm cells are extracted from the epididymis, or using “testicular sperm extraction” (TESE), in which sperm cells are taken directly from the testicles – Prof. Sperling, who likewise relies on interdisciplinary cooperation in such cases, is regarded as an experienced specialist in this field too. For this purpose, Prof. Sperling’s team collaborates with reproductive physicians, for example from the Kinderwunschzentrum (fertility centre) in Mönchengladbach.

Hormone disorders constitute are the third priority when it comes to treating andrological problems. This often involves finding the adequate solution for specific hormone level problems, especially in ageing men. Prof. Sperling knows that the right therapy contributes to his patients’ physical and mental well-being in this case.

Plastic and reconstructive surgery: the fine art of microsurgery

Even if corrections become necessary after a urological procedure, you can rely on Prof. Sperling’s expertise. In the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery, this may involve the microsurgical reconstruction of the spermatic cords, which are reconstructed with the help of a surgical microscope after being severed. Urological implants, such as the implantation of an artificial sphincter, are another example of reconstructive urology, as is urethra reconstruction.

The medical team led by Prof. Sperling likewise takes an interdisciplinary approach to surgery and procedures for urinary incontinence. For this, there is another renowned centre in Mönchengladbach that repeatedly requests the urology specialist’s services: the Centre for Continence and Neuro-Urology.

The regional population thus has a first-class point of contact for all urological issues. Should you suffer from diseases of the urinary tract or the male genital organs, do not hesitate to contact Prof. Dr. med.Herbert Sperling. After all, with him the Maria Hilf clinics in Mönchengladbach have an internationally renowned specialist in the fields of andrology, urological oncology, paediatric urology as well as plastic and reconstructive urology.