- Katholisches Klinikum Bochum
- Zentren
- Dermatology, venereology and allergology
Dermatology, venereology and allergology
We represent all areas of modern patient care at our University Department of Dermatology. We specialise in treating skin cancer, allergies, acne inversa, neurodermatitis, psoriasis, varicose veins and venereal diseases. In terms of aesthetic medicine, we focus on the removal of adipose tissue, administration of Botox and fillers, as well as upper and lower eyelid plastic surgery. We also manage the therapeutic laser centre for the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Collaborative network of HS specialists
Networks are often the basis of successful medical treatment. This applies to medical specialities in a hospital, as well as to cooperation between the hospital departments and specialists in private practice. The Department of Dermatology at St. Josef Hospital Bochum, for example, also works closely with specialists when treating cases of acne inversa, an inflammatory skin disease that often follows a severe clinical course.
Bochum is the largest acne inversa treatment centre in Germany, and one of the largest in Europe. Approximately 1000 new patients are treated each year under the guidance of Prof. Falk Bechara. Usually, this process starts during the specialised consultation hours set up specifically for patients with acne inversa.
Data is exchanged between private practices, which include dermatologists, gynaecologists, and general practitioners throughout Germany, and this exchange provides our department with a precise clinical profile of the patient before inpatient treatment. Important questions include: Were antibiotics administered? What other medication was administered on an outpatient basis, such as immunosuppressants? Are there any secondary illnesses? Has any surgery already taken place?
“This service is used extensively by specialists in private practice and makes collaboration much easier”, emphasises Prof. Bechara. He is also chairman of the newly founded HS/AI Network Rhein-Ruhr e.V., which also involves other clinics.
Most acne inversa patients are treated by means of dermatosurgery, meaning they will have an operation. Consultations with the Department of Surgery at St. Josef Hospital are also held if required, such as in cases that require treatment of associated anal fistulae.
Dermatosurgery as a discipline primarily focuses on research and innovation, providing cutting-edge university medical treatment, while also offering patients the best and least intensive treatment for their individual needs. “Routine patient care is just as important as the latest research”, stresses Prof. Falk Bechara.
This includes specialised wound care and the choice of surgical anaesthesia. General anaesthetic or not? This is an important question raised by many patients during the consultation. In addition to local anaesthesia, which is often considered as an alternative to general anaesthesia, tumescent anaesthesia has increased in importance in the field of dermatosurgery at St. Josef Hospital. As long as the patient gives their consent, and has no medical contraindications, Prof. Bechara sees considerable advantages: “The procedure significantly reduces bleeding during surgery and reduces pain in patients after the intervention.”
The procedure is basically quite simple. An ultra-highly diluted local anaesthetic is applied to the surgical field using a pump, which is left to run for a few minutes and results in tissue swelling (“tumescere”, Latin for “to swell”). This tumescent anaesthesia makes it possible to operate on significantly larger areas that would not be suitable for conventional local anaesthesia due to the high risk of toxicity. Additional administration of adrenaline prevents bleeding by causing vasoconstriction. The procedure is not only used for acne inversa, but also for surgically treating varicose veins in certain cases, or to perform liposuction in aesthetic medicine.