Cardiology in Munich – a Focus on the Heart

From both a national and international perspective, the hospitals in the City of Munich are at the leading edge of research, diagnostics and treatment of cardiological diseases. This is not least due to the two world famous universities in the Bavarian state capital –Ludwig-Maximilians-University and the Technical University. All aspects of cardiac and pulmonary diseases can be treated in the cardiological clinics attached to these two universities – Grosshadern General Hospital (Klinikum Grosshadern) and the Deutsches Herzzentrum (German Cardiac Centre). Four further city hospitals and several private hospitals offer a broad spectrum of cardiological medical care, from fast multi-slice-spiral computer-assisted tomographs to the Chest-Pain-Unit.

Out-patient and day-patient diagnostics and treatment play an important role, especially for patients living outside Munich. Time expenditure is kept to a minimum for the patient by optimum co-ordination and specific individual use of the range of diagnostic options available.

The Munich clinics use both well-tried and state-of-the-art diagnostic techniques such as electrocardiogramme (ECG), exercise-ECG, prolonged-ECG, echocardiography and stress-echocardiography (non-invasive). If necessary, doctors can use various imaging techniques to show the inside of the body and the heart. These include methods such as cardiac catheterization, myocardial biopsy, cardiac-CT scan and electrophysiological examinations. A special cardiological department is available for children with cardiological diseases.

The focal aspects of clinical activity in coronary heart diseases include both preventive and therapeutic measures such as balloon angioplasty and stent implantation using drug-eluting stents - the latest approach to opening blocked arteries that carries the lowest risk; catheter therapy for use in various types of cardiac dysrhythmia from serious to extreme, therapy of cardiac insufficiency using the most modern treatment medication, (operative) biventricular pace-maker therapy, cardiac transplant, prophylactic and therapeutic measures in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (TASH-procedure), the treatment of acquired or congenital cardiac defects such as valvuloplasty of cardiac valves and aspects of septum valve defects. Other key treatment areas are the implantation of the latest generation of cardiac pace-makers and internal defibrillators.

Today, non-invasive imaging techniques play an indispensable role in the prevention, diagnosis and therapy of cardiovascular diseases. Munich offers the most modern of these devices, such as computer-assisted and nuclear magnetic resonance (MNR) tomography, together with excellently-trained teams of medical professionals.

Close co-operation with the cardiological centres in Munich, as well as the post-operative and rehabilitative care of cardiac patients in one of the many comfortable rehabilitation centres well-equipped with modern medical technology, complement the range of medical care services on offer for patients with cardiovascular diseases.