1. Cardiology

General description of ward

The 1st Cardiology department of AHEPA was established in 1988. The director is Mr I. Styliadis, Professor of Cardiology. The clinic has an intensive coronary care unit, an intermediate coronary unit, wards, outpatient clinics and laboratories. The clinics of the department are clinical cardiology, hypertension, heart failure, pacing and sudden death, dyslipidemia and adult congenital heart disease. The laboratories are echocardiography, stress test and rehabilitation, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular mechanics, cardiomyopathies, electrophysiology and pacing and cardiac catheterization. The website of the department can be found at http://www.acardiology.gr/.

Contact details

Phone :  +30/2310-994 830
Email : stylioan@med.auth.gr
http://www.acardiology.gr/

2. Neurosurgery

General description of ward

The 1st Neurosurgery Department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is located at the AHEPA University Hospital. It was founded in 1966 and it is the oldest academic neurosurgical center in Greece and was the only Neurosurgical Department in the northern part of Greece (population 2-3 millions) for many years. The Department is dedicated to excellence in clinical practice, education and research. Among different distinctions we are very proud of the UEMS - EANS accreditation of our residency training program acquired in 2008. Only 35 such accreditations have been awarded in the whole Europe.

The activities of our department encompass the full-range of contemporary neurosurgical practice. We use a multidisciplinary-approach to provide a complete range of services for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with neurosurgical diseases. Currently our department has an average daily census of about 40 – 50 patients and approximately 1000 operations are performed yearly in two fully-equipped operating rooms (operating microscopes, endoscopes, C-arms, neuromonitoring, intraoperative imaging). Seven neurosurgeons and four residents-in-training are on the medical staff, all speaking English fluently.

Neurological diseases and disorders treated in Department of Neurosurgery, AHEPA Hospital:
Brain Tumors: Malignant tumors of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. Benign tumors including astrocytomas (awake craniotomy), meningiomas, epidermoids, dermoids, hemangioblastomas, colloid cysts, astrocytomas. Also tumors of the skull and the spinal column. 
Neurovascular Diseases: Aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) as well as other vascular problems of the brain and spinal cord.
Pituitary Tumors: Pituitary and hypothalamic disorders including acromegaly, Cushing's disease or syndrome, prolactinoma, chromophobe or nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma, and thyrotroph adenomas via the transnasal or transcranial route.
Cranial Base Diseases: Lesions affecting the base of the skull - acoustic neuromas (vestibular schwannoma and other tumors of the cranial nerves) and complex meningiomas, chordomas etc. 
Spine and Peripheral Nerve Disorders: Neurosurgical evaluation of neck and back pain, nerve compression syndromes, peripheral nerve (including nerve compression such as carpal tunnel syndrome), herniated intervertebral discs, spinal cord compression syndromes and complex spinal conditions (spondyloplasty, kyphoplasty, spinal arthrodesis).
Pediatric & Developmental Disorders: brain and spinal tumors, surgery of developmental anomalies including tethered spinal cord, spina bifida, syringomyelia, myelomeningocele, hydrocephalus (endoscopic third ventriculostomy), craniosynostosis, lipoma, dermal sinus, encephalocele, aqueductal stenosis, myeloschisis, lipomyelomeningocele, split cord malformation, diastematomyelia, Klippel-Feil syndrome, CSF shunts, Dandy-Walker cyst, and Arnold-Chiari malformation.
NeuroGenetic Diseases: Inherited neurologic syndromes including neurofibromatosis type I (Von Recklinghausen's disease) and II, tuberous sclerosis, and Von Hippel-Lindau disease.
Trigeminal Neuralgia / Hemifacial Spasm Disorders: Trigeminal neuralgia (tic douloureux) and glossopharyngeal neuralgia and hemifacial spasm (tic convulsif).
Functional Neurologic Disorders: Parkinson's disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, cancer-related and chronic-pain syndromes, familial tremor, and epilepsy surgery for the surgical treatment of medically refractory seizures.
Trauma, Emergency, Intensive Care, and General Neurosurgery: Spinal Cord and Head Trauma Center and brain disorders resulting from trauma.

Contact details

Patients can contact the secretary of the department for appointments, during office hours on +302310994692, email: nsahepa@med.auth.gr or visit the website http://www.med.auth.gr/depts/aneurosurg

3. Paediatric – Hematology Oncology Unit

General description of ward

The paediatric Hematology- Oncology unit is a newly-reconstructed building next to the paediatric university clinic. Doctors and nurses are all highly-educated professionals with remarkable scientific and social activities. The unit is a major trainer in paediatric hematology and oncology for doctors, nurses and students. The unit provides a comprehensive paediatric oncology service, which actively promotes shared care with a number of experienced general paediatric departments.

Since November 2009, the new facilities are fully operational. Staff can now treat their increasing numbers of patients in modern, spacious and comfortable surroundings.

Specialists for any medical information for the children in the paediatric Hematology- Oncology unit are:

Professor F. Athanasiadou (Head of Paediatric Clinic)
Consultant Th. Papageorgiou
Lecturer  M. Hatzipantelis

Contact details

Tel: ++2310 994801      ++2310993944
Fax: ++2310 994803
e-mail: fathanas@auth.gr

4. ENT

General description of ward

1. Head and Neck Oncology, Treatment and Surgery
   Head and neck oncology includes cancer of the mouth, nose, sinuses, salivary glands, larynx and lymph nodes in the neck.
   Treatment may include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination of therapies. Treatment can affect swallowing, speaking or even breathing, so patients may need rehabilitation.
2. Laryngectomy Rehabilitation
   If you have been diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and must have a laryngectomy, you will be seen by a speech therapist for counseling before surgery. Family members are also encouraged to attend. The therapist will discuss the changes that will occur after your surgery and discuss options for communicating post surgically.
   Together, you, your doctor and your speech therapist will cooperate to obtain the best possible voice quality for you.
3. Endoscopic Sinus Surgery
   The ENT department of AHEPA hospital is one of the first centres in Greece to provide an endoscopic approach to sinus surgery. This type of surgery, Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS), is a minimal invasion procedure, decreases the risks of conventional surgery, improves the results of surgery and avoids external face scars.
4. Otosurgery
   In our department of AHEPA hospital we are focusing on surgery to treat and prevent complications of infections in the middle ear and to reconstructive surgery of the sound transmission system. 
   We perform surgery for chronic otitis media, stapedectomy for otosclerosis, middle ear reconstruction (ossiculoplasty), basic repairs of the ear drum (tympanoplasty) and middle ear surgery. In chronic ear surgery with a large eardrum defect (tympanic membrane perforation), damaged or absent ear bones (ossicles), cholesteatoma, and mastoid disease, a combined approach with both a tympanoplasty and mastoidectomy are performed.
5. Hearing Implant Program
   The Hearing Implant Program at the AHEPA ENT department provides world-class treatment in helping patients who have significant hearing impairment, spoken language users, thus allowing them access to a full-range of educational, social and vocational life experiences.
   Our team works closely with patients and their families to guide them towards the best course of treatment. We look forward to answering your questions and to determine if you or your family member is a candidate for cochlear implantation.
   A range of services are performed leading up to implantation, including various diagnostic tests, consultation and evaluation. It all begins with an initial cochlear implant evaluation appointment and includes the following:
   Audiological Examination (pediatric and adult) in the Audiology Laboratory, focusing on clinical investigations of hearing loss, tinnitus and auditory electrophysiology.
   In addition to physically examining the ear, we use hearing tests to determine the type and extent of hearing loss. These hearing tests may include: pure tone hearing test, tympanogram, auditory brainstem response testing, otoacoustic emissions testing and electrocochleography.
   Comprehensive Audiologic Diagnostic Testing, Communication Evaluation, Assessment of auditory, speech and language skills and abilities is conducted.
   Once we determine the type and severity of hearing loss, we can begin treatment.
   Consultation includes the following services before and after receiving your cochlear implant: device orientation/selection, programming, troubleshooting and monitoring of progress.
   The surgeon will meet with you prior to surgery to discuss instructions, the procedure itself, and what to expect after surgery related to healing and possible hearing outcomes.
6. Balance Problems and Treatments
   The ENT Department has invested in sophisticated equipment to investigate patients with vestibular disorders and support vestibular rehabilitation.
   Vestibular Testing with Nystagmography, for vestibular diagnosis of Ménière’s disease, acute vestibular failure and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Contact details

To make an appointment or for further information, please call or write:
1st Academic ENT Department
Director: Professor M. Tsaligopoulos, MD
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
AHEPA   Hospital
541 24  THESSALONIKI - GREECE
phone: +30/2310/ 994.761-2
or  +30/2310/993.459
Fax: +30/2310/ 994.916
e-mail: orlcln@med.auth.gr
web: www.med.auth.gr/depts/aorl/gr/

5. Eye Clinic

General description of ward

The Department of Ophthalmology consists of operating rooms, clinical laboratories, imaging services, a one-day clinic, rooms for inpatient care, doctors and directors’ offices, a secretary, library, a conference room and examination rooms. The surgery ward includes 4 operating rooms, a pre-operative evaluation room and offices for doctors, surgeons and nurses. The hospitalized inpatient care unit consists of 4 rooms with 3 beds, 2 rooms with 2 beds and 2 rooms with 4 beds; a nurse’s office and a doctor’s office. The one-day care unit includes 8 beds, biometry equipment and IOL-MASTER. The department of ophthalmology provides the following services and facilities for the diagnosis of ophthalmic conditions.

Contact details

Nikolaos Georgiadis
Email: gnick@med.auth.gr
           opthalm@med.auth.gr

6. Haemodilysis

General description of ward

The Hemodialysis Unit of AHEPA University Hospital is one of the leading Hemodialysis Units in Greece. It offers all types of haemodialysis (e.g. conventional haemodialysis, haemodiafiltration, online haemodiafiltration, short daily haemodialysis etc.) as well as Peritoneal Dialysis. Plasma exchange therapies and LDL-apheresis are also provided. Outpatient renal and hypertension clinics run on a daily basis.

The department was recently fully renovated and hosts 20 modern dialysis machines. It is equipped with flat screen monitors and is fully air-conditioned. The haemodialysis chairs are new and fully electrically-adjustable, offering maximum comfort to the patient.

We serve 70 long-term haemodialysis patients in three shifts daily and provide first class dialysis and patient-centred care. 90% of our patients achieve a Kt/V of 1.2 or better and the vast majority achieves the minimum recommended levels for haemoglobin and albumin. We have the ability to admit patients at any moment to the Nephrology Department.

Our staff consists of 7 fellows and 4 consultants together with 5 nephrologists holding academic positions. One fellow and one staff nephrologist are always on duty on a 24 hour basis. Our doctors are very well trained in Greece and in many European and US centres. They have published a great number of papers in major nephrology journals and are leading experts in the field of Dialysis and Hypertension (amongst others, they include P. Nikolaidis, N. Dombros, A. Lasaridis, V. Liakopoulos and P. Sarafidis). The nursing staff is experienced and well trained. One dialysis nurse is responsible for 3 patients in every shift. All our doctors and most of our nurses are English speaking. The department collaborates with a renal dietician and a social worker and runs a famous in-dialysis exercise program.

Our Peritoneal Dialysis program is the first organized program in Greece and is well renowned nationally and internationally. It has been founded in collaboration with the Toronto Western Hospital where Dr Dimitrios Oreopoulos has established Peritoneal Dialysis as a feasible dialysis modality in the 1970’s. Four of our doctors (N. Dombros, P. Nikolaidis, E. Balaskas and V. Liakopoulos) have been trained in Toronto and have transferred their knowledge and experience to the AHEPA hospital. We offer both CAPD and all forms of APD and handle all major PD systems (Baxter, Fresenius and Bieffe Medital).

Contact details

P. Nikolaidis, MD, PhD, Professor of medicine/Nephrology
Tel. +302310994615, email: nikolp@med.auth.gr
V. Liakopoulos, MD, PhD, Lecturer in Nephrology
Tel: +302310994694, email: liakopul@otenet.gr

More in hospitalchoices