Department of Cardiology

As a tertiary care unit that serves patients from well beyond our own region, the Department of Cardiology offers all of the major diagnostic and therapeutic options available in modern cardiology. This ensures that the Brandenburg Heart Center can offer the highest level of care to patients with heart disease from within the Federal State of Brandenburg and beyond.

Every year, more than 6.400 treatments are given in our four state-of-the-art catheterization laboratories. We have an emergency team on stand-by 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in order to ensure the prompt treatment of patients with acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial infarction. The hospital also has a helicopter landing pad to ensure rapid access to the Heart Center in emergencies.

We offer the full range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures available in relation to coronary artery surgery. Diagnostic procedures include ultrasound examinations for all cardiovascular needs, as well as pressure wire measurements to evaluate the severity of coronary stenoses. With regard to treatment options, the Department has extensive experience and expertise in interventions to treat complex coronary stenoses, including those affecting the main stem and the aortic bifurcation. Rotablation is available in cases of severe calcification.

Over the past few years, the Department has continued to expand its expertise in other fields, and is now able to offer the full range of modern cardiology treatments available.

Electrophysiology procedures for heart failure

Electrophysiology procedures offered include the implantation of systems that can reduce the severity of symptoms in patients with heart failure. This type of system - also known as a cardiac resynchronization device, or an OPTIMIZER - works by delivering electrical impulses to the heart. Other electrophysiology treatment options include cardiac resynchronization therapy, cardiac contractility modulation and vagus nerve stimulation.

Diagnosis and treatment of heart disease

Diagnostic methods include the use of ultrasound devices to examine coronary arteries from the inside, as well as the use of pressure wires. Treatment methods offered include the treatment of severe heart failure, combined surgical procedures to treat the heart and great vessels - such as the carotid artery and the arteries in the leg - as well as procedures to treat peripheral blood vessels.

 

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Christian Butter, Head of Department

Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Christian Butter has been the Head of the Department of Cardiology since 2004, and also holds an Assistant Professor position (non-tenured) at the Charité University Hospital's School of Medicine, teaching in the Center of Internal Medicine/Cardiology. Since 2015 he has been Professor of Cardiology at the Brandenburg Medical School.

As a specialist in Internal Medicine and Cardiology with many years of professional experience, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Butter specializes in interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and the treatment of heart failure. A substantial part of his work so far is regarded as groundbreaking. Not only was he responsible for developing the Heart Center's transfemoral aortic valve implantation program, but he has so far performed a total of more than 270 transfemoral valve implantations, as well as having assisted in more than 150 transapical valve implantations.

He also set up the percutaneous mitral valve reconstruction program including the MitraClip Registry, and has so far treated more than 120 patients using the MitraClip procedure. Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Butter also initiated and led the introduction of a number of first-in-man procedures that involved the use of device-based and intervention-based approaches in the treatment of patients with heart failure.

He has written a textbook on cardiac resynchronization therapy, and regularly publishes articles in different national and international journals. Additionally, Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Butter gives over 50 presentations a year, both in Germany and abroad, and has received many awards in recognition of his work.

»Our main aim is to detect and treat cardiovascular disease early, and to do our utmost to prevent the disease from progressing. As a hospital with an interdisciplinary approach to treatment, we can offer a comprehensive range of medical specialties, whose roles can be seen as complementary, and whose interdisciplinary collaboration ensures maximum safety for our patients. Patients requiring surgery can count on our expertise and state-of-the-art technology 24 hours a day.«

The Brandenburg Heart Center specializes in the treatment of severe forms of heart failure, using modern electrophysiology treatments such as resynchronization therapy (CRT), cardiac contractility modulation and vagus nerve stimulation. Some patients may be able to access some of the most up-to-date treatment concepts available, which may be offered as part of clinical studies.



The increase in the numbers of implantable cardiac devices such as pacemakers and IDCs coincides with an increase in the number of device-related complications - such as systemic infections - being recorded across the Berlin-Brandenburg area. Although these complications often cause severe health problems, the Brandenburg Heart Center is able to offer successful treatment methods for even the most severe cases, and is the only specialist center in the Berlin-Brandenburg area to offer device lead extraction. Aside from conventional mechanical extraction systems, the Heart Center also has an encimer laser to assist with the removal process. Due to the close cooperation that exists between the Department of Cardiology and the Department of Cardiac Surgery, prompt surgical intervention is possible at any point should the nature of the complications require it

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The past few years have seen major advances in the development of interventional cardiology procedures to treat severe heart valve disease. Due to their advanced age and multiple comorbidities, some patients with severe stenoses are at an increased risk of complications during surgery. In others, conventional aortic valve replacement surgery may be contraindicated for a number of different reasons. These patients can now be treated with a minimally-invasive, catheter-based aortic valve replacement procedure. This avoids the need for conventional open heart surgery and the use of cardiopulmonary bypass (a heart-lung-machine). At the Brandenburg Heart Center, we have a dedicated team who specialize in this procedure, and who have gained enormous experience over the past few years, treating a large number of patients. The physicians who perform this procedure in our Center also provide training for other physicians from around the world.

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Outpatient treatments available in the Department of Cardiology

Pacemaker Outpatient Clinic

For the follow-up treatment of patients who have been fitted with a pacemaker, ICD or event recorder.

Additional information on the Pacemaker Outpatient Clinic

Heart Failure Outpatient Clinic

This clinic is for patients with severe heart failure, whose condition requires monitoring in order to be able to plan suitable surgical and non-surgical treatments.

Additional information on the Heart Failure Outpatient Clinic

 
 
 
 
Relevant information

Emergency numbers

  • Emergencies only:
    112
    Our emergency room:
    +49 3338-69 45 21

Contact person

  • Univ.-Prof. Dr. med.
    Christian Butter
    Head of the Department of Cardiology, Immanuel Hospital Bernau Brandenburg Heart Center

    PA to Head of Department Christine Meinecke
    Immanuel Hospital Bernau Brandenburg Heart Center
    Ladeburger Str. 17
    16321 Bernau bei Berlin
    T +49 3338 694-610
    F +49 3338 694-644
    send email
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