There are two excellently equipped departments working hand in hand and giving their all to care for people in the greater Bonn area. A closer look at the head of these two departments of orthopedics, trauma, hand and reconstructive surgery gives a perfect picture of just how close the cooperation between them really is: With Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke, the hospital network of the GFO Kliniken Bonn has a chief physician who has made a name for himself in diagnostics and therapy, in particular in the area of artificial hip and knee joints. This experienced specialist also offers a range of services in hand surgery and reconstructive surgery at the university level.
As part of the GFO Kliniken hospital network, the venerable Bonn hospitals on both sides of the Rhine can show what has always made them special—and how the tradition of religiously affiliated hospitals with Franciscan roots combines perfectly with the modern demands of state-of-the-art high-performance medicine. People from the region not only receive medical care based on the latest scientific findings here, they can also always count on receiving empathetic care characterized by kindness, attention, respect, and solidarity.
The chief physician of the departments of orthopedics, trauma, hand and reconstructive surgery is responsible in particular for bringing the two locations in Bad Honnef and Beuel closer together with a focus on the future. Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke took over the department at the Cura Hospital Bad Honnef in addition to the department at the St. Josef Hospital in Bonn-Beuel in 2016, thereby making it possible for the GFO Kliniken Bonn to ensure a particularly high quality of treatment is in place at both hospitals.
Basic and Extensive Know-How: Four Specialist Training Qualifications
Professor Kälicke has already been back in his hometown since 2011. In addition to several foreign placements, Kälicke spent most of his time working at the world’s oldest emergency hospital—the Bergmannsheil University Hospital in Bochum, most recently as senior physician and deputy clinic director. With no less than four specialist training qualifications, he was considered the ideal candidate for the post of chief physician in Bonn, and he has since been able to continuously expand the department’s reputation and thus also of the Bonn clinics as a whole. As a specialist in surgery, orthopedics and trauma surgery, special
trauma surgery and hand surgery, he also has a high level of expertise in traumatology and tumor orthopedics.
Establishing the Center for Endoprosthetics at the St. Josef Hospital in Beuel is one of his major achievements. Around eight hundred artificial hip and knee joints are implanted here every year—an impressive number that speaks for the great experience of everyone involved. The high level of quality in all matters concerning arthroplasty is documented by the EndoCert® certification system: The German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (DGOOC) thus classified the Bonn Center for Endoprosthetics as a certified center for endoprosthetics—not only for hip and knee joint replacement but also for shoulder and ankle endoprostheses.
Specialist: Corrections of False Joint Formations
It therefore comes as no surprise that Professor Kälicke has outstanding expertise when it comes to knee or hip prostheses. With a high rate of satisfaction, he makes it possible for his patients to return to moving around freely—and thereby plays a major role in helping them to have a higher quality of life. This even applies in cases where a new hip that has already been implanted causes issues. When it comes to changing a hip prosthesis, the specialist is always in demand.
Whether it’s an infection, aseptic loosening, prosthesis instability, or fractures around the joint replacement, that’s when it’s important to be able to rely on the skills of an experienced surgeon. Professor Kälicke specialized in replacement operations early on—procedures such as these are routine in his certified center for arthroplasty.
Always a Priority: Joint Preservation
Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke also has extensive expertise in the reconstructive surgery of the entire musculoskeletal system. The specialist, who was already captivated by orthopedics and trauma surgery during his studies, has mastered the complete field of restorative and reconstructive surgery, such as the correction of axis misalignments in the case of bone healing impairments or infections. Naturally, surgery only ever happens once all conservative methods of treatment have already been fully exhausted. Of course, this also applies to spinal surgery, where Professor Kälicke takes an interdisciplinary approach: He usually operates in cooperation with neurosurgeons from the GFO hospital network in this case.
When it comes to surgery, Professor Kälicke is familiar with all therapies—from bone and cartilage transplantation to tissue transplantation, which can be considered for skin defects, for instance. Biological-regenerative measures such as cartilage surgery and axis corrections always have one specific goal: It is always Professor Kälicke’s priority to preserve joints.
Experienced Specialist: The Fine Art of Operating on Hands
In addition to knees, hips, shoulders, and ankle joints, Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke is especially drawn to hands. Consequently, the two locations in Bonn don’t only offer the classic range of orthopedics and trauma surgery but also hand surgery—and at a top international level too: The experienced specialist dedicated himself to this independent field by undergoing special training. Hand surgery is usually also part of trauma surgery—and that’s where it’s comforting to be able to turn to a dedicated specialist. The hands, after all, have a total of 27 hand bones, which make up around a quarter of all bones. The hand on its own requires having a huge amount of knowledge due to the large number of tendons and the complex interplay between ligaments and joints. Our hands and their sensitive nerves also require very careful diagnosis in the case of injuries or diseases.
Bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, fascia, and soft tissue: Professor Kälicke is familiar with everything that can happen to hands. After a detailed examination, he decides on a case-by-case basis which conservative or surgical therapy is the optimal treatment. With complicated bone fractures, his skills in all areas of surgery also come into play with the hand, making him a master of reconstructive surgery for the wrist, fingers, and thumb. For the hand too, the focus is thus also placed on preserving the joint if surgery cannot be avoided completely. Professor Kälicke's range of services includes physical therapies and infiltration therapies—and suitable ergotherapies. When surgery is necessary, however, his artistry in minimally invasive surgery often means that scars are barely visible, even after complicated injuries.
Important in Modern Medicine: A High Level of Empathy
The departments of orthopedics, trauma, hand, and reconstructive surgery at the two hospitals in the GFO Kliniken Bonn hospital network therefore have just the right specialist in chief physician Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke. His wealth of experience in trauma surgery is also reflected in the extremely fast decision-making process. After all, Professor Kälicke is used to making the right diagnosis in a matter of seconds, even though he is always happy to take the time required for his patients to receive top-class treatment. The specialist is always very empathetic. It doesn’t matter whether it’s about the hand, the elbow, or the shoulder, or whether it’s about knee and hip diseases and injuries, Prof. Dr. med. Thomas Kälicke is a specialist very familiar with orthopedics, and with the field of sports medicine too.