Neurosurgical Department In Thrace

Neurosurgical Department

Democritus University of Thrace
School of Medicine

University Hospital of Alexandroupolis

The Medical School of the Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) was established in 1977 with the aim of becoming a modern teaching center committed to excellence in the education and training of students, physicians and biomedical scholars. It was named after the great ancient Greek philosopher Demokritos (460-370 BC) who was born in Avdera, Thrace, an administrative district of Greece.

During the thirty years of its existence, it has established multiple activities in education, research, and health care and has collaborated with scientific and social sectors in

Greece

and abroad. The Faculty consists of ten Departments: Basic Sciences, Morphology, Laboratory Medicine, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Surgery, Mother and Child Health, Neurology and Sensory Organs, Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, and Social Medicine. The teaching staff includes more than 130 faculty members. In addition, the permanent staff includes administrative staff and specialized technical personnel. The undergraduate programme of studies lasts for six years. Balanced emphasis is given to Basic Sciences (semesters 1-4), Laboratory Medicine (semesters 4-7), Pre-clinical Training (semesters 6-8) and Clinical training (semesters 9-12). The Faculty of Medicine also offers several postgraduate programmes leading to a Master’s or doctoral degree. In the years ahead, our hope is that the continuous efforts of all its members will place the Faculty of Medicine in a leading position, providing centres of excellence for the Greek and the international scientific community.

Since 2003, The School of Medicine operates on its new campus, located about 7 km from city of Alexandroupolis, representing one of the newest medical and research complexes in Greece.

The campus includes The University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, one of the largest of the country, with a capacity of 700 beds.

The Department of Neurosurgery was established in 1988 with the recruitment of

Dr. Christos Μavrogiorgos, a UK - trained military neurosurgeon. He performed the first neurosurgical operations in Thrace under "war conditions", in the old General Hospital of Alexandroupolis.

When he retired in 1998, he was succeeded by Dr. Zacharias G. Volikas, who was recruited from Athens University. Upon joining DUTH in 1998, Dr. Volikas established the academic Department of Neurosurgery and initiated a formal program in neurological surgery. Dr. Volikas, attended medical school at the University of Athens, Greece. He completed his residency at the Atkinson Morley’s Hospital in London, UK, under L. Walsh, A. Richardson and D. Utley. Furthermore, he went on to get further neurosurgical training under N. Grant at the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London, UK in 1975. He retired in 2001.

Dr. Theodossios A. Birbilis was named the third Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery in February, 2005. Dr. Birbilis a greek-german neurosurgeon, has been a member of the DUTH faculty since 2004, having been recruited from Bremen, Germany in order to expand DUTH’s neurosurgical practice. He attended medical school at Klausenburg-Siebenbuergen, followed by a fellowship in surgery at “Polikliniki” General Hospital of Athens, Greece. He went on to do his neurosurgical training (1990-1998) at the University Hospital of Goettingen, Germany, under Prof. E. Markakis, Th. Schaake and A. Ahyai. After completing his training, Dr. Birbilis accepted posts first in Reinkenheide - Central Hospital in Bremerhaven, and then as attending neurosurgeon at St.-Juergen-Str. Central Hospital, in Bremen, Germany from 1998 to 2005. Dr. Birbilis’s principal clinical interests include the treatment of brain aneurysms, brain tumors (meningioma, acoustic neuroma, gliomas) and metastatic brain tumors, and he has published and lectured nationally in the field of neuro-oncology. Under his leadership, the department has continued to solidify its reputation as referral center in brain, skull-base, vascular and spinal neurosurgery, while also adding new capabilities in minimally-invasive surgery, and expanding its clinical and basic research activities.

The Neurosurgery Department is a tertiary service with a strong commitment to patient care, education and research. The treatment of neurosurgical patients is challenging, but rewarding. At the moment, neurosurgery is one of the most rapidly developing medical fields. Today, our department provides general neurosurgical services to Thrace & East Macedonia and to a much wider area, treating patients from across the Greece.

We are actively involved in the treatment of many different types of conditions involving brain, skull, spine and nervous system with a special emphasis on treating patients with cerebrovascular disease, spine disorders, head and spinal injuries, peripheral nerve disorders and pain disorders, as well as the treatment of brain and spinal cord tumours. We use a multidisciplinary approach to provide a complete range of services for the diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of patients with neurosurgical disorders.

Most operations are performed microsurgically, therefore our operation theatre is equipped with a surgical microscope and all the instruments that a modern operating theatre would have (Neuronavigation, CUSA, Pneumatic Drills, CO2-Laser, RF -Generator, C-Arms, Introperative Ultrasound, ICP- monitoring etc). Moreover, our department provides 24-hour coverage for neurotrauma (cranial & spinal) and emergency neurosurgery cases. The around-the-clock physician presence, along with the excellent multidisciplinary collaboration with specialists in ICU, Orthopaedics, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and many other services provides for the ideal management and treatment options for trauma and emergency neurosurgery patients. It takes a whole team of neurosurgeons, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, social workers, chaplains, respiratory therapists, and others to help patients regain good health and function. In an effort to keep pace with our patient's needs and to advance our own educational and research goals, we grow, adding more clinical and research faculty members.

The DUTH Center of Cerebrovascular Surgery has a national reputation as one of the national referral centers for the surgical and endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular diseases. Patients are regularly referred to us from across the country. Our surgeons specialize in diagnosing and treating the most difficult and complex cerebrovascular disorders, including cerebral aneurysms, arterial venous malformations (AVMs), carotid occlusive conditions, intracranial stenosis requiring cerebral revascularization, and stroke. We utilize the full range of cutting-edge surgical approaches, including open microneurosurgery (Aneurysm-Clipping, Intracranial Bypass, Image-guided Surgery, AVM-Microsurgery) and endovascular surgery (Endovascular Coiling and AVM Embolozation, Balloon Remodeling, Intracranial Stents and Flow Diverters, Angiography), and the most advanced imaging and mapping techniques.

The DUTH Department of Neurosurgery has a long-standing reputation for being a national referral center in the surgical treatment of patients with brain tumors and skull base tumors, and our neurosurgeons are known for their ability to handle the most complex cases, including skull base lesions and tumors in eloquent brain areas. We utilize the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art technologies, including frameless stereotactic systems, advanced functional mapping and neuro-navigation techniques. Because management of brain and skull base tumors requires the coordinated effort of a range of specialists, our neurosurgeons also team up with members of other departments at DUTH, including Anesthesiology, Oncology, Radiation Oncology, Neuroradiology, Pathology, Otolaryngology and Neuro-ophthalmology, to provide comprehensive care for our patients.

Neurosurgeons at DUTH treat brain injured patients (patients with traumatic brain injury, or TBI) at University Hospital of Alexandroupolis. Treatments for brain injury performed include acute neurosurgical procedures to remove blood clots and decrease pressure from swelling in the brain, “state of the art” monitoring and management in a neuro-critical care setting. Monitors and ventricular drains are often placed to measure intracranial pressure and/or brain tissue oxygenation during the acute phase of a brain injury. Chronic subdural hemorrhage (bleeding on the surface of the brain) is treated using a newer less-invasive bedside technique for removal of the blood. Anesthesia is often not required for this treatment.

At our Department, degenerative disorders, trauma, tumors, and vascular diseases of the spine and peripheral nerves are addressed through a team approach, in which our surgeons work together with radiation therapists, endovascular neuroradiologists, and rehabilitation specialists to offer the best care to our patients. To enhance accuracy and safety, our surgical teams utilize state-of-the-art intra-operative spinal navigation, and 3-D fluoroscopy, during all spinal procedures. Safety is further enhanced during spinal operations by our intra-operative monitoring team, which carefully monitors each patient’s motor, somato-sensory and EMG activity.

Faculty and Staff :

Name: Theo Birbilis MD,PhD

Title: Associate Professor of Neurosurgery & Chairman

Clinical interests: Brain tumors, Aneurysms, Spine, Skull base surgery

Phone: 25510-75229, email:birbilis@med.duth.gr

Name: Kosmas Kontogiannidis MD

Title: Consultant Neurosurgeon

Clinical interests: Neurotrauma, Hydrocephalus

Phone: 25510-75228

Name: George Asithianakis MD

Title: Consultant Neurosurgeon

Clinical interests: Neurotrauma, Pain

Research Fellows:

Name: G. Matis MD, PhD, MSc

Title: Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Research interests: Neurocritical care

Name: L. Papatheodosiou MD

Title: Clinical Fellow

Research interests: Neurocritical care

Name: S. Stavropoulos MD

Title: Research Fellow

Research interests: Minimally invasive spinal techniques

Name: E. Theodoropoulou PhD

Title: Research Fellow

Research interests: M.R.Spectroscopy

Alumni Clinical Fellows:

G. Matis 2005-2006

S. Stavropoulos 2005

A. Iordanidis 2006-2007

G. Kalostos 2005-2007

D. Gourovanidis 2008

E. Karakosta 2009-2011

P. Chatziioannou 2006-2013

J. Siasios 2008-2010

K. Papachristou 2011-2012

M. Metsis 2012-2013

L. Papatheodosiou 2005-

The Department of Neurosurgery is part of the University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Division of Surgery and is located at Ward 11 on the first floor of C block. The neurosurgical offices are located on the first floor of Α block and are staffed with a unit secretary. Our Neurosurgery Clinic's nursing staff provides a wide variety of clinical services on behalf of its physicians to its patients. Together we work to provide our patients with the best, most comprehensive array of neurosurgical options available. We look forward to your inquiries.

The first neurosurgical staff on 4th. February 2005: Stavropoulos S. (clinical fellow), Matis G. (clinical fellow), Birbilis Th. (Associate Professsor and Chairman), Kontogiannidis K. (Attending Neurosurgeon), Mrs. Katsouli (nurse).

Outpatient Clinics and Referrals:

Thursday 09.30-14.00, 15.30-17.00,

Friday 15.30-17.00

Tuesday 09.30-14.00

Tel Nr (8.00-14.00 every day): 25510-75461, 25510-75465

Department Contact Details:

Phone: 25510-75229, Fax: 25510-30321

E-mail:neurosurgerythrace@gmail.com
Address: Department of Neurosurgery

University Hospital of Alexandoupolis
GR- 68100, Dragana, Alexandroupolis, Greece

Videos with Operations performed

in our Department

NEUROVASCULAR OPERATIONS: