Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna

The Gastroenterology Clinic in Frankfurt am Main, centrally located at the Goethe-Passage, is one of the most important outpatient clinics of its kind - even throughout Europe, with advanced diagnostic methods and personalised therapies. Working at a high level of medical expertise, an experienced team of renowned specialists takes care of all diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas. From prevention and diagnostics, to the most innovative therapies, patients are in the hands of highly qualified specialists for every detail that may arise – all under the direction of the founder Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna.

By the time that Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna received the Certificate of Honour of the City of Frankfurt am Main in 2018, which was awarded to him in thanks and recognition for his outstanding achievements in benefitting the citizens of the city, it was already abundantly clear: This certified specialist in gastroenterology is anything but an ordinary specialist.

In fact, Prof. Güldütuna has excelled in all areas of his field – in practice as well as in research and teaching. With well over two hundred publications, he has also significantly optimised the international status of his department. In many respects, he repeatedly demonstrated the spirit of a true pioneer. As early as 2003, he was the first private gastroenterologist in Germany to perform video capsule endoscopy, which helped him to gain nationwide fame, as did the textbook he published as co-author and co-editor on this still-pioneering topic.

Practice. Research, Science: Pioneer for the intestines and liver

He also set standards for the challenge of measuring the detoxification function of the liver: In 2016, he was even the first private gastroenterologist in Europe to introduce the liver function measurement "LiMAx". Even today, the Clinic for Gastroenterology of Prof. Güldütuna is the only place in Hesse where this dynamic liver function test can be performed.

When Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna founded the Clinic for Gastroenterology in Frankfurt am Main in 1995, specialised high-performance medicine was by no means as widespread as it is today. Here, too, Prof. Güldütuna, an expert who was awarded the title of Private Lecturer by the University Hospital in Frankfurt in 1996, was a pioneer.

A team of specialists for all divisions

Pushing the topic of absolute specialisation from the very outset – and, with his deft touch and first-rate networking – Dr Güldütuna ensured that he only gathered proven specialists around him in the outpatient clinic. This approach is further evident not only amongst the experienced specialists, but also amongst the entire team working at Große Bockenheimer Straße.

This ensures that patients always receive high-quality care in every area of the practice. For example, patients who enter the practice rooms to get a colon cancer screening can expect the latest techniques: Here, gentle endoscopy, or even video capsule endoscopy if desired, is used as carefully as possible. Prof. Güldütuna calmly explains the importance of prevention and ways to avoid this common cancer.

Gentle endoscopy – also by video capsule

The team at the outpatient clinic also uses gentle endoscopy techniques when examining the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum. Most patients opt for this type of examination because they are suffering from upper abdominal pain or heartburn. Ailments such as vomiting blood, tarry stools or anaemia are also amongst the reasons for gastroscopy.

Heartburn – better known as acid reflux disease – is believed to be the most common disease of the oesophagus. Though many still take reflux lightly, it can result in a chronic change of the oesophagus, leading to a condition known as Barrett's oesophagus. This can in turn promote the development of oesophageal cancer.

The liver and pancreas: new examination methods and therapies

The liver is a key focus of Prof. Güldütuna’s work – and not least because he was the first European to introduce the "LiMAx” liver function test. As a specialist in this area, he is thoroughly familiar with the largest of the metabolic organs, which is responsible for metabolising protein, fat and sugar, and serves as our most important filtering and detoxification station. Because he works with one of the leading European laboratories, he can also offer the most comprehensive diagnostics. So whether you may have a fatty liver, fibrosis or another chronic liver disease, an infection such as hepatitis or are simply getting routine examination – patients of the Frankfurt Gastroenterology Clinic have come to the right place.

One of the most common types of cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is pancreatic cancer. Often it is only diagnosed at an advanced stage, making it a particularly insidious form of the disease. For that reason, Prof. Güldütuna has dealt extensively with early detection: In order to detect pancreatic tumours, an ultrasound transducer is attached to the endoscope during an endoscopic ultrasound examination (EUS). This means that the pancreas has to be checked with as much precision as possible, which allows pancreatic cancer to be diagnosed early.

The practice clinic in Frankfurt is also highly recommended for patients with constipation and haemorrhoids. Haemorrhoids are considered to be a rather widespread disease: At least half of people in the developed world suffer from enlarged arteriovenous vascular pads that cause discomfort – including bright red blood in the stool and pain on defecation, as well as itching, rash and pressure. Prof. Güldütuna can not only relieve his patients of these troublesome symptoms, but he also knows many tips for preventing and mitigating the problem – including advice on nutrition.

Allergies: Specialist in food intolerance

Nutrition is another area to which Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna has devoted considerable passion and scientific energy – specifically the topic of food intolerance. Anyone who has food allergies, such as to cow's milk, soy, yeast or wheat, has come to the right place. Because food intolerance can have adverse consequences, from celiac disease to swallowing disorders to life-threatening anaphylactic shock, it is important to seek medical advice.

But Prof. Güldütuna goes much deeper into the topic: He not only knows about all the allergies and intolerances that can arise, but also reads practically all the studies on the subject. With a deft touch, a high level of expertise and a lot of experience, he finds out for his patients which foods strengthen the immune system, where unexpected – often individually varying – fattening foods can be found, and what can irritate the skin or even cause it to age.

Irritable bowel syndrome or allergy: Conclusive investigation methods

Prof. Güldütuna has also demonstrated his pioneering role in the field of food intolerance: In 2018, he was the first private gastroenterologist in Europe to introduce confocal laser endoscopy. This revolutionary diagnostic imaging method can be used, among other things, in the early detection of oesophageal cancer, for example in Barrett syndrome. In this way, early-stage cancers can often be successfully treated without surgery.

Prof. Güldütuna particularly likes to use the procedure, often called CLE for short, to detect food intolerances. During a gastroscopy, the cells of the small intestine are observed and can provide reliable data on food intolerances. The results are already available after a few minutes, and generally speaking all foods can be tested for individual intolerances. With confocal laser endoscopy, Prof. Güldütuna helps patients with irritable bowel syndrome and allergy-related diseases alike. With his practice clinic for gastroenterology, Prof. Güldütuna also regularly participates in international studies on food allergies and intolerances. Thus Frankfurt, the metropolis on the Main, is consistently a centre of international research in this area of medicine.

Multiple awards: World-class researchers

Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna has long had close ties with the Hessian capital. He studied medicine at the renowned Johann Wolfgang Goethe University – and immediately after receiving his medical licence, he began working as a research associate there in 1986. Subsequently, at the local university hospital, he trained in the discipline that he had been involved with as early as during medical school: He completed his training as a specialist in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Already in 1996, when his practice was just a year old, he became a lecturer at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. To strengthen his department’s reach throughout the region, he became one of the committed founders of the Rhine-Main Quality Circle for Gastroenterology.

However Prof. Güldütuna has received prestigious awards even from beyond Frankfurt am Main. Born in the Turkish city of Izmir and raised in Germany, Prof. Güldütuna is extremely popular in his country of birth, Turkey – where he is met with pride and awe. The Turkish Health Minister Prof. Dr. Recep Akdag honoured him for his extraordinary services to Turks living abroad, which Prof. Güldütuna has provided even in areas extending beyond medicine.

Honours: Two professorships

It is widely known that for over twenty years Prof. Güldütuna has been committed to working for the advanced training of physicians in Germany and abroad. On several occasions, he has also been a co-organiser of the German-Turkish Congress for Gastroenterology and Surgery. Most recently, he also drew attention for activities in Uzbekistan: He gave lectures and workshops at the university hospitals in Tashkent, Samarkand and Bukhara, and signed a cooperation agreement to support gastroenterology in that country. He received two special honours from far-away Uzbekistan: Both the University of Bukhara and Akfa Medline Hospital Tashkent awarded him a professorship.

In this way, the name of Prof. Dr. med. Sükrettin Güldütuna will continue to be closely linked to the future of modern gastroenterology. Anyone who enters the practice clinic for gastroenterology in Frankfurt will immediately feel this global dynamic and the drive that spurs the clinic’s director – both in everyday practice as well as in research and teaching.