Abdominal Center

In the Abdominal Center we treat diseases of the abdomen, blood vessels, urinary and reproductive organs, endocrine glands as well as metabolic diseases. The Abdominal Center is one of the 13 departments in the Helsinki University Hospital Area.

Our specialty includes endocrinology and endocrine surgery, transplant and liver surgery, nephrology, gastroenterology, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, and urology. We have nationwide responsibility for kidney, liver, pancreas, and small intestine transplantations in adult patients. Other patients in need of demanding special level care from all over Finland are also referred to us. Our units operate in Meilahti Tower Hospital, Meilahti Triangle Hospital, Surgical Hospital, and Jorvi and Peijas hospitals.

Diagnostics and treatment of diseases of the abdominal organs: inflammatory bowel diseases, pancreatic and liver diseases, such as primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), autoimmune liver diseases, and viral hepatitis
Treatment of PSC patients and ERC studies across the country
Problematic small intestine diseases, such as refractory celiac disease and short-bowel syndrome. Demanding small intestine examinations, such as double balloon enteroscopies
Ultrasonic endoscopies, e.g. in pancreatic diseases and evaluations of the extent of cancer.
Extensive endoscopic procedures in the Meilahti, Jorvi and Peijas hospitals: endoscopies and procedures of the stomach and colon, and bile and pancreatic ducts; approximately 17,000 examinations each year.

Finland's largest urological unit.

Excellence in prostate cancer

Multiprofessional prostate cancer team
Forerunner in prostate cancer diagnostics (e.g. MRI/Ultrasound fusion imaging and guided biopsies)
Finland's largest urological robotic surgery unit, more than 380 robotic-assisted endoscopic surgical procedures annually: prostate cancer surgeries, partial nephrectomies, and urinary reconstructive surgeries

Special expertise in bladder cancer

Finland's largest unit performing total excisions of the bladder (radical cystectomy)

Other special expertise

Including extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy procedures (ESWL), urethral stenosis repairs, functional urological problems (neurourology, spinal cord injury patients), urological prostheses (incontinence and penile prostheses).

National responsibility for kidney, liver, pancreatic and intestinal transplantations in adult patients; approximately 300 transplants per year
Treatment results at an international high standard, one year after transplantation approximately 90% of the transplants function and after 10 years, 70–80% of the transplants function
Support treatments for acute liver failure

One of the largest vascular surgery units in Europe.

Arterial surgery (treatment of aneurysms, claudication and critical ischemia of the lower limb (foot wound or imminent necrosis) and carotid artery diseases)
Venous surgery (varicose veins and venous thrombosis) using modern methods
Vascular access surgery for dialysis patients

Surgical treatment using high-quality technology (e.g. a hybrid operating room located in a state-of-the-art surgical ward) and all the latest methods tried and tested in scientific studies in both open surgery and endovascular procedures.

Special areas of expertise include treatment of aneurysms exceeding the renal artery level, surgical treatment of inflammation of an aortic graft, surgical treatment of a carotid artery aneurysm, treatment of critical ischemia threatening the viability of a limb and, in particular, surgical treatment of cancers growing in blood vessels, and cytostatic therapy of isolated limb perfusion (ILP) in the treatment of an extensively advanced malignant melanoma in a limb.