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Professionalism, commitment and research by professionals on the Campus are the key elements in offering patients excellent care.
We are committed to research as a tool to provide solutions to the daily challenges we face in the field of medical healthcare.
Thanks to our healthcare, teaching and research potential, we work to incorporate new knowledge to generate value for patients, professionals and the organization itself.
We generate, transform and transmit knowledge in all areas of the health sciences, helping to train the professionals of the future.
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At the Hepatology Department, we focus primarily on treating patients with liver disease, both those hospitalised on our ward and in outpatient care and interconsultations.
In addition to treating patients with liver diseases, the Hepatology Service also collaborates intensively in the liver transplant program together with the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and the Digestive System Transplant Services. Moreover, we collaborate with the Gastrointestinal Unit of the Digestive System Service in taking care of hepatic patients with gastrointestinal bleeding, and in the control of haemophilic patients from the Haemophilic Unit.
The Hepatology Department is part of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) with its own research group, the Hepatic Diseases Group. We are involved in clinical, basic and experimental research in liver diseases.
We also carry out significant teaching activity, with members of the Department involved in teaching medical residents (tutorials); medical degree teaching from fourth to sixth year; postgraduate teaching (doctoral theses) after the residency, as well as providing research fellowships and continuing education.
The Cardiology Department Haemodynamics Unit diagnoses and treats diseases of the coronary artery, other parts of the heart, such as valves, and congenital defects. The majority of these procedures are carried out by inserting a catheter into the radial artery in the arm. In a few cases, it is inserted into the arteries in the leg.These procedures are used to treat acute myocardial infarctions and chronic coronary artery obstructions. They also enable intervention within the heart to change malfunctioning heart valves or repair heart defects. These procedures are also carried out on children and adults with congenital diseases.
The Vall d’Hebron Haemodynamics Unit is a centre of excellence with extensive experience in coronary procedures. It has three theatres for operations, one of which is shared with the Arrhythmia Unit. Another one is used for hybrid procedures, with simultaneous participation of specialists in haemodynamics and experts in cardiac surgery.
The unit has the technology and materials needed to carry out any kind of procedure, such as:
The unit is equipped to carry out operations with ventricular assistance and support with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. It has been working in collaboration with the Pneumology Department for more than 35 years. They combine to treat pulmonary hypertension and to make the assessment before proceeding with lung transplants. The unit is a national benchmark in this field, which is 12% of its total work. It also collaborates with other hospitals internationally.
The haemodynamics laboratory has advanced anaesthetic and cardiac resuscitation equipment, along with transthoracic, transoesophagal and intracardiac echocardiography. It has specialists working in it for paediatric procedures and for adults with congenital diseases. This guarantees care for patients of any age.
In 2019, the Haemodynamics Unit carried out:
It was the unit carrying out the most aortic valve implants in Catalonia for the twenty-third consecutive year. Some of these procedures were done using world-leading cutting-edge optimisation techniques.
Thanks to the collaboration between specialists, more than 190 procedures are carried out on children and more than 80 on adults with congenital heart disease each year. The Cardiology Department takes part in all the structural cardiopathy programmes that need it. It also carries out hybrid procedures in surgery once a month.
Acute myocardial infarction and other acute heart diseasesThe majority of the procedures in the Haemodynamics Unit relate to ischaemic heart disease. This occurs when cholesterol plaques build up in the coronary arteries. These take the blood to the myocardium, the heart’s muscle tissue that pumps the blood around the blood stream. When the blood flow in the coronary arteries decreases, an ischaemia or acute myocardial infarction occurs. It usually causes a pain similar to pressure on the chest, known as chest angina. When the coronary artery is completely obstructed, an acute myocardial infarction occurs which causes heart cells to die. It is a serious illness and requires the artery to be opened immediately. This is usually done with a catheterisation. The patient is subsequently admitted to the Cardiology Critical Care Unit.
The Cardiology Department Haemodynamics Unit at Vall d’Hebron treats infarctions with catheterisation 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is one of the benchmark hospitals providing continuous care for this illness in Catalonia.
Heart valve diseaseThe majority of heart valve diseases can only be treated with cardiac surgery. When the disease is degenerative, due to age and ageing, techniques such as an aortic valve implant or a MitraClip can also be used. To decide on suitable treatment, the “heart team” intervene. This is a multi-disciplinary team, consisting of clinical, surgical, cardiology, imaging and anaesthesia experts and specialists in critical cardiac care.
Paediatric and adult congenital heart diseaseThe most frequent heart disease is congenital. Techniques to treat congenital defects via the skin often supplement reconstructive surgery. Vall d’Hebron is a worldwide benchmark for this operation on people of all ages. Paediatric treatments have been developed to adapt to children’s growth and evolution.
Pulmonary hypertension/lung transplantIncrease in pressure in the pulmonary arteries may be a secondary disorder to other cardiac or pulmonary disease, or also may be a primary problem. The treatment for this disease requires monitoring to control the pressure’s reaction to the drugs. The patient can be monitored using right heart catheterisation and using the vascular/pulmonary remodelling study with intravascular ultrasound. Patients having a lung transplant must undergo a series of cardiac tests beforehand, to ensure the success of the operation. The tests are catheterisation and coronary revascularisation. Catheterisations are also done in a situation of isometric and dynamic physical exercise to assess the heart’s response to the effort.
The Haemodynamics Unit carries out interventional diagnostic and interventional therapeutic catheterisations.
Interventional diagnostic catheterisations
The most usual is the study of the heart’s anatomy using a coronary catheterisation. The procedure consists of inserting a catheter into an artery in the forearm or leg until it reaches the coronary artery. The catheter allows the radiocontrast agent to be introduced in order to visualise the artery using radioscopy. Specific material may also be inserted to unblock the artery.
Other diagnostic procedures using a catheter are as follows:
Interventional therapeutic catheterisations
These are procedures via the skin that enable the treatment of some heart diseases and lesions without surgery.
The most common is coronary angioplasty. This consists of unblocking the coronary artery using a catheter. This is often done in the acute phase of a myocardial infarction, along with suction of the thrombosis that obstructed the artery and caused the infarction. The catheter is also used to insert a stent, a small cylindrical mesh, to completely open the coronary artery at the obstruction point.
The unit carries out other procedures, such as:
The Haemodynamics Unit takes active part in lines of research, for example:
The Haemodynamics Unit's team of professionals takes active part in academic education and practical training on the medicine and nursing degree courses. Cardiology residents usually spend time at the unit, along with residents from other Spanish, European and Latin American hospitals who are interested in training on this sub-speciality. The unit's professional team regularly takes part in training activities outside the hospital.
Each year, the unit organises a guidance course on treating coronary bifurcations with imaging techniques. It also organises a course on choosing a catheter, as a guide for coronary angioplasty. A course in the form of practical academia on the treatment of chronic occlusions is held twice a year.
The Haemodynamics Unit has a section head and six assistants. They work with the nursing team, which consists of thirteen specialist professionals. The latter work in the theatres and in the hybrid operating theatre, as and when needed.
The Endocrinology and Nutrition Department provides care for patients with endocrine gland diseases, which secrete hormones into the blood flow, as well as metabolism and all aspects relating to nutritional status at all stages of life. Thanks to translational research, carried out on our hospital campus, we can apply basic research to prevention and treatment, thus optimising patient care in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
In our Department, we treat diseases such as diabetes, morbid or grave obesity and disorders derived from the thyroid gland and the pituitary gland.
We have a Day Hospital where we attend to patients with chronic illnesses that until now required hospital admission, but for which patients can now be treated as outpatients. This is the case, for example, of diabetic patients with acute decompensations. We also have a unit specialising in Diabetic Foot.
The Day Hospital offers primary care, improving coordination between the hospital and primary care centres. Every month, we attend to about 300 patients, most of whom are diabetic patients with uncomplicated acute illnesses. We carry out about 20 tests every month, and we also carry out telephone monitoring of patients when we have to monitor certain types of treatments.
The Day Hospital also performs functional tests to determine the patient's condition. One example is the implantation of insulin perfusion pumps, a device the size of a mobile phone that administers insulin 24 hours a day through a cannula that is implanted under the skin of the patient with type 1 diabetes. We also use devices to constantly monitor glucose levels. The devices are minimally invasive and designed to measure glucose levels and provide information on any fluctuations.
At the Endocrinology and Nutrition Department and the Nutrition Support Unit, we regularly organise information courses aimed at diabetics and their families, with the aim of improving their quality of life. These courses cover how to control diabetes, avoid decompensations and prevent chronic complications.
At the Diabetic Foot Unit, we treat the range of syndromes that affect the feet of patients with diabetes. The possible complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus, which affects 6.5% of the population between 30 and 65 years old, according to data from the Department of Health, include neuropathy, where the nerves of the feet are affected, ischemia, which causes a progressive decrease in blood flow to the foot, and infection. These complications cause tissue damage to the skin, or foot ulcers, causing significant morbidity and sometimes leading to amputation.
We have a multidisciplinary team that was set up to ensure early detection of any complications due to the disease and thus avoid the need for amputations. This involves the following departments: Traumatology and Orthopaedic Surgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Infectious Diseases, and Angiology and Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.
The Oesophagogastric Surgery Unit of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital has a large professional team that offers comprehensive care for patients suffering from a functional, structural or neoplastic pathology of the upper digestive tract, such as cancer, a tumour or a hernia.
We focus on treating the functional, structural and neoplastic pathology of the upper digestive tract.
We are specialists in the following surgical techniques:
Cancer of the oesophagus
Pathology of gastrointestinal ulcer complications
The Endocrine, Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Unit is part of the General Surgery Department and has two main purposes: on the one hand, we handle tasks related to endocrine surgery, and, on the other, we also handle metabolic and bariatric issues.
We offer excellence in care for thyroid surgery, and our clinical research and the use of the latest techniques, such as recurrent nerve monitoring and visual amplification of the surgical field, mean the care provided for this pathology guarantees the highest standards, both in benign and malignant pathology.
As for parathyroid pathology, we always try to use minimally invasive techniques.
Adrenal pathology is addressed primarily through laparoscopic surgery, and the Unit has acquired extensive experience over the years.
In the fields of bariatrics and metabolism, we perform all types of technique, both restrictive and malabsorptive and mixed techniques: gold standard, laparoscopic gastric bypass and vertical laparoscopy.
The introduction of robotic surgery at the Unit means we have become pioneers in robotic bariatric surgery, with the creation of a model of robotic surgical technique for gastric bypass and tubular gastroplasty.
Surgery is a fundamental pillar for patients diagnosed with morbid obesity living with health problems such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiocirculatory problems and respiratory disorders. The objective of bariatric surgery is twofold: on the one hand, to re-educate eating habits so that the maximum loss of excess weight can be achieved in the shortest amount of time possible in a sustainable way and, on the other hand, to prevent, reduce and treat obesity-related comorbidity.
Our arsenal of surgical techniques, such as gastric bypass and vertical gastrectomy, includes more complex techniques to alleviate the devastating effects of obesity on such patients. Likewise, in the last 15 years, developments in robotic surgery (where the surgeon operates on the patient through the use of a robot that responds to their orders, improving precision, vision and possibilities of movement) mean these techniques can be carried out more safely and have become more commonplace.
Vall d'Hebron University Hospital is a European reference centre in robotic surgery for obesity. In 2012, we were the first hospital in Spain to operate on the first adolescent patients with morbid obesity, and we are currently recognised as a centre of European excellence.
The joint work of bariatric surgeons and endocrinologists means the Unit is in a privileged position when it comes to metabolic surgery to treat diabetes, when appropriate.
The Section carries out its own research projects, collaborating with other hospitals and other Departments within our Hospital, further information about which can be found in the publications and research sections.
For teaching, our Section has two resident doctors who rotate periodically. We also train medical students from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in the surgical disciplines related to our Unit.
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery specialty is defined as "the medical and surgical specialty dealing with the prevention, study, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of the oral cavity and face, as well as the cervical structures that are directly or indirectly related to them".
The care provided at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital covers the following areas: outpatient visits, surgery, hospitalisation and accident and emergency services. Our Department is the only one in Catalonia with a 24-hour on-call system. This means we are a leading player in the Catalan public network.
We are also pioneers in innovation: in 2014, the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department became the first in Catalonia to use computer-assisted surgery in its operations. This paradigm shift in surgical practice is based on collaboration between medical professionals from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Medical Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Radiology and Anatomy Departments.
Computer-assisted surgery, which incorporates an intra-operative browser similar to a GPS device, offers a three-dimensional, real-time vision of the position of the instruments. This guarantees greater reliability and accuracy.
Furthermore, improvements in scanning and 3D imaging mean we can perform virtual simulations of any surgery thanks to what is known as "pre-operative virtual planning", as well as the aesthetic result of the operation, with Morphing 3D.
Since 2016, we have been pioneers in incorporating a technology platform to allow collaboration between medical professionals and engineers and technicians designing prostheses. This new tool improves patient recovery and allows surgeons to prepare for operations. It also creates a point of contact from the very outset with the engineers and technicians who work on personalised prostheses for each patient. A model of networking between several Hospital departments.
We offer highly specialised care through multidisciplinary units for the treatment of complex pathologies, such as maxillofacial oncology and microsurgical reconstruction of the base of the skull and salivary glands.
We are a group of highly qualified professionals in a cohesive, motivated team that handles the complex pathologies handled only by tertiary centres. These professionals are further renowned for their activity and participation in scientific societies.
All this guarantees more precise surgery that takes fewer hours and entails less risk for the patient. The next step is to design new biocompatible tissue, a line of research that the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) is already working hard to advance. The New Technologies and Craniofacial Microsurgery group of the Centre for Research in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology for Nanomedicine (CIBBIM) will study the application of new biomaterials in facial reconstructive surgery, cellular therapies with stem cells in the field of biomaterials, oncology and the use of new devices and biomarkers for early diagnosis in oral cancer.
Our Department is also involved in teaching at all levels: undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing education, as well as research activity. These areas are a fundamental part of our activity.
The Abdominal Wall Surgery Unit is a part of the General Surgery Department and has a long tradition in this field. It deals with patients with generic pathologies and, above all, with complex wall pathologies, which is a field where many patients struggle to find an adequate solution to their problem when it is handled as a general surgery issue.
Vall d'Hebron University Hospital has a specific Unit in the field of abdominal wall surgery to help evolve from a specialist unit to a super-specialist unit. This evolution is due to the magnitude of the clinical-therapeutic information that is currently needed to treat general surgery and digestive tract patients in the most appropriate way. Abdominal wall surgery is fully defined and has its own section.
At our Unit, we offer the current forms of treatment used to tackle this pathology as well as lines of clinical research to constantly improve the treatment of these patients.
In terms of pre-clinical research, i.e. prior to studies with humans, our focus is on translational medicine (taking research from the laboratory to the patient), we have close links to the General Surgery Research Group and, in particular, with its Abdominal Wall Pathology Research Unit, led by Dr M. Antònia Arbós Via. Through this group, we aim to carry out pioneering research, both nationally and internationally.
Our Unit is structured at different levels, and can meet any and all needs thanks to this fusion of preclinical and clinical work.
The Haematology and Haemotherapy Department applies the specialty of haematology and haemotherapy. In accordance with the definition offered by the Spanish Society of Haematology and Haemotherapy, this is a clinical medical specialty as a branch of internal medicine, but it also plays a fundamental role in laboratory diagnosis.
At the Haematology Department, our mission is to provide care, teaching and research regarding haematology in adult patients. We deal with three main areas: clinical and diagnostic care, teaching, and research in the field of haematology.
We are a leading Department, renowned both at home and abroad for our level of specialisation in the field. We are leaders in care and in the research into new medications, thanks to the Clinical Trials Unit, which treats high-complexity haematological patients in Catalonia and the rest of Spain, offering the best treatments and the chance to access new drugs.
The Haematology Department currently comprises five sections:
Our Department offers patient care in three different areas:
The Haematology Day Hospital was set up in 2016 to care for patients in active treatment for haematological disorders that require regular outpatient follow-up. The space allows us to provide patient care on an outpatient basis and in walk-in visits, as well as to perform on-the-spot basic examinations and treatments and to follow up on cases on an individual basis. The design of these innovative facilities was carried out by a multidisciplinary group of professionals taking into account the needs of patients.
The Haematology Laboratory is part of the Clinical Laboratories, which also integrates the Transplant Unit, the Haematology Section and the Haemophilia Unit. These units provide specialist clinical care to haematological patients. The Haemostasis and Thrombosis Unit and the Haematological Diagnosis Section also carry out diagnoses. They provide specialist hospital care and primary care both within our Department and to many external centres. All laboratory activity aimed at adult and paediatric haematological patients is carried out through these units, as well as the diagnosis of haematological disorders in patients with other pathologies.
As a department at a leading, advanced hospital, the Haematology Department is responsible for intensive experimental and preclinical research, with testing of medications not yet suitable for human use, at the Laboratory of Experimental Haematology of the Vall d'Hebron Research Institute, where we study the biology of various haematological diseases and the activity of different drugs in experimentation, in order to provide the most personalised treatment plan possible.
The Haematology Clinical Trials Unit, which covers the fields of care and research, aims to develop and apply clinical trials from Phase I (new drugs) to Phase III (randomised studies). This Unit allows haematological patients to receive the best treatments with access to new drugs.
The Haematology Department is responsible for a significant amount of teaching, with both undergraduate teaching (medical students) and the training of medical residents in this specialty. We cover both theory and practice:
The main objective of the Pharmacy Department is the safe and efficient use of medication with the utmost excellence. Our Department supports care activity and is recognised as a collaborating centre of the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), thanks to our role in preventing medication errors.
Our Department offers a consolidated portfolio of services, and we have a pharmaceutical team that monitors all registered prescriptions and pharmaceutical treatments.
We are responsible for distributing, dispensing and preparing medications with automatised systems and robotics, with one of the most significant technological systems in Europe. We use a system of drug-use indicators based on case histories to assess use of medication. This helps us detect opportunities for improvement, both in terms of security and reducing variability in clinical practice, meaning avoiding differences in the way our staff prescribe treatments.
The Department enjoys ISO 9001-2008 certification, which specifically covers prevention of medication errors. We have established a quality policy aimed at satisfying the needs and expectations of patients, and providing the services that contribute to improving quality of care through personalised attention for effective, efficient and safe drug treatment, while improving our systems.
Our main objective is to ensure our Department continues to contribute value to patients, bearing in mind the conditions at any given time in the Hospital, the Catalan Health Institute and the Catalan Health System in general. For this reason, between 2009 and 2015 we followed a strategic plan that uses the Balanced Scorecard methodology. This strategic plan takes into account new scenarios, social changes and emerging trends, which all necessitated a thorough review of our methodology, in a spirit of critical creativity and continuous improvement.
Rapid evolution in concepts and technology has resulted in the Pharmacy Department receiving several awards and honourable mentions for our clinical innovation and excellence.
At the Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplants Department at Vall d'Hebron Hospital, we are pioneers and a reference centre in lung transplants and the treatment of lung cancer with minimally invasive techniques.
Since the inauguration of the Department, in 1969, our goal has been to provide comprehensive care for patients suffering from thoracic surgical disease, to improve their quality of life using highly specialised techniques. To achieve this, our work with thoracic surgeons in multidisciplinary teams is key. This collaboration enriches us as professionals as well as people.
As for minimally invasive techniques, video-assisted thoracoscopy allows us to extract the pulmonary lobe with only two or three small incisions. With traditional techniques, this would require one incision of about 15 or 20 cm. This technique therefore causes less bleeding and has less impact on ventilation mechanics.
So the video-assisted thoracoscopy has less of an impact on the immune system and allows patients to get back to their normal life sooner. This technique requires high-precision accuracy, and can only be carried out by highly specialised professionals with a large amount of experience.
We are also the only hospital in Catalonia to carry out lung transplants for children and adults: the Thoracic Surgery Department was the first in Spain to carry out such a successful transplant in 1990.
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