Surgical Quality

Transfer of Expertise from Ulm Cancer Center to Wiesbaden

Professor Link has been leading the colon- and rectal cancer group at the Dept.Surgery I, University of Ulm and Ulm Cancer Center. The group has made continously maximal efforts in optimal surgical quality. The long term results have been outstanding and were published at top conferences and in the highest rated scientific journals.

The expertise was transferred by Professor Link to APK/ATC Wiesbaden. Surgical morbidity at APK/ATC is extremely low, in comparison to other specialized groups, and long term results are excellent. Professor Link up to now has had the scientific/clinical/surgical responsibility for >6000 patients with all stages of colon and rectal cancer.

He cofounded the Asklepios Tumor Center in 2002 with excellent interdisciplinary structures. As soon as certification was possible, the interdisciplinary Large Bowel Cancer Center APK Wiesbaden (DKG) and the Competence Center for Treatment of Malignant Diseases of the Peritoneum (DGAV) were established under his leadership.

see: achievements

Treatment principles for colon and rectal cancer:

  • If indicated neoadjuvant treatment
  • Tumor resection including regional lymphatic drainage
  • Dissection of regional blood vessels (A./V.)
  • 3-Dimensional safety margins
  • Mesocolic or Mesorectal Excision (CME, TME)
  • Multivisceral (en bloc) resection
  • Intraoperative staging
  • Resection of metastases (Liver, Lung, Peritoneum)
  • Exact pathological staging
  • If indicated postoperative chemotherapy

K.H. Link, M. Hauser, M. Mann, P. M. Schlag: Kolonkarzinom
Chirurgische Onkologie Strategien und Standards für die Praxis
Michael Gnant, Peter M. Schlag (Hrsg.), Kapitel 23, 315-329, Springer Wien/New York, 2008

The principles of colon and rectal cancer surgery:

Remove („radically“) all visible and microscopic nonvisible lymphatic/nonlymphatic malignant disease within the primary tumor region at risk.

No violation of surrounding structures, provide a safe anastomosis; no blood transfusion.

An excision of the primary tumor is only allowed in so called low risk T1 tumors limited to the nonmuscular internal layer of the bowel wall.

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