Gastroenterology
Upper abdominal surgery
The primary focus for upper abdominal surgery is on highly specialized surgery involving the pancreas, liver, esophagus, and stomach. Most of these procedures are performed for malignant diseases, but a significant proportion involves advanced benign reconstructive surgery of the esophagus and biliary tract.
The Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic HPB Unit at Karolinska University Hospital is the largest hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery center in Sweden, with around 550 oncological surgical procedures performed annually. Karolinska University Hospital is a tertiary referral center for the region and also receives referrals from other counties in Sweden. In addition, Karolinska University Hospital has been selected as one of two Swedish centers for further national centralization of the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer and perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. There is an ongoing focus on the further development of minimally invasive surgery and a constant evaluation of our results in academic publications.
The Oesophagogastric (OG) surgery unit at Karolinska University Hospital is a highly specialized unit focusing on OG cancer surgery and advanced reconstructive surgery, including research and development. The unit is by far the largest one in Sweden, a tertiary center for all OG curative surgery in the region. It has been selected as one of two National centers for highly complicated surgical cases (free jejunal transplants, multi-visceral resections, colon interpositions, and other complicated reconstructions). We perform approximately 130 OG cancer resections and ten highly complex cases annually. Minimally invasive OG cancer surgery started in 2012, and today a vast majority of cases are performed with this technique. The unit is very active nationally and internationally within the clinical and research field, holding several important positions as, for example, President of the European Society of Diseases of the Esophagus (ESDE). Scientific activity is very high, with more than 50 publications annually within the field in peer-reviewed, highly-ranked international medical journals.
The Endoscopy Unit is one of the largest units in Sweden, performing over 11,000 procedures per year. This unit offers a wide range of endoscopic procedures that allow both diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary disorders. It is a tertiary referral center for advanced endoscopic procedures, including ERCP, EUS, ESD, and EMR. The endoscopy unit manages training and innovation with several endoscopy courses each year and an active academic portfolio of high-impact international and national clinical studies.
Lower abdominal surgery
In the area of lower abdominal surgery, all types of colorectal diseases are handled with a particular focus on locally advanced tumors and recurring cases of colorectal cancer. Robot-assisted colorectal cancer surgery is well-established within the unit.Various other cancers in the pelvic region can also be treated, such as peritoneal carcinomatosis. Treatment includes extensive cytoreductive surgery combined with intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC).
Multidisciplinary treatment is conducted in close collaboration with the departments of oncology, radiology, gynecology, reconstructive plastic surgery, and vascular surgery.
