Alongside the Executive Board, the committees are the most important bodies of the DGG. Within these structures, members come together to work on issues that are central to their field and the Scientific Society.
Chair:
Prof. Dr Andreas Greiner (Berlin)
Deputy Head:
Prof. Dr Fiona Rohlffs (Regensburg)
Members:
Prof. Dr med. Christan A. Behrendt (Hamburg)
Prof. Dr Dr med. Daniela Branzan (Munich)
Prof. Dr Dr med Albert Busch (Dresden)
Prof. Dr med Bernhard Dorweiler (Cologne)
Prof. Dr med Johannes Kalder (Giessen)
Prof. Dr med Kyriakos Oikonomou (Frankfurt)
Prof. Dr med Christian Reeps (Dresden)
Dr Özgün Sensebat (Borken)
PD Dr Matthias Trenner (Wiesbaden)
Prof. Nikolaos Tsilimparis
Prof. Markus Wagenhäuser (Düsseldorf)
Contact:
Prof. Dr Andreas Greiner,
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Benjamin Franklin
Campus, Department of Vascular
Surgery, Hindenburgdamm 30
, 12200 Berlin
, Tel.: +49 (0)30-450 522 725
Email: andreas.greiner(at)charite.de
Chair:
Dr Tobias Steinke (Düsseldorf)
Members:
Dr Isabell Jester (Hamburg)
Dr Ernst Ulrich Metzler (Berlin)
Dr Alexander Meyer (Duisburg)
Prof. Wilma Schierling (Regensburg)
Objectives of the Commission:
- To establish common quality standards and certify interdisciplinary centres for dialysis access, with the aim of achieving high-quality, nationwide coverage of needs regarding the creation and maintenance of haemodialysis access.
- A quality control register providing, for the first time, representative data on dialysis accesses in Germany.
Activities:
- Certification of interdisciplinary centres for dialysis access
- Various presentations at events, conferences and symposia
- Delivery of a specialist course on shunt interventions at the Summer Academy
- Committee work, e.g. acting as an expert in the development of patient questionnaires for the quality assurance procedure for renal replacement therapy
Contact
Dr Tobias Steinke
, MD Schön Klinik Düsseldorf
Centre of Excellence for Vascular Surgery
Am Heerdter Krankenhaus 2
40549 Düsseldorf
Tel: +49 (0)211-567 23 50
Email: info(at)vascular-center-duesseldorf.de
Chair:
Dr Thomas Karl (Bad Friedrichshall)
Members:
Dr Holger Diener (Buchholz)
Prof. Dr Bernhard Dorweiler (Cologne)
Dr Stephan Eder (Villingen-Schwenningen)
Prof. Dr Andreas Maier-Hasselmann (Munich)
Dr Sebastian Kapahnke (Kiel)
Dr Julian-Dario Rembe (Düsseldorf)
Prof. Ewa Klara Stürmer (Hamburg)
Miriam Vosloo (Berlin)
Objectives of the Commission:
Hygiene
Hygiene in vascular surgery encompasses all measures to prevent post-operative infections, in particular wound and prosthesis infections. It includes:
- Strict aseptic operating conditions (surgical attire, sterility, air filtration)
- Pre-operative patient preparation (skin antisepsis, decolonisation where appropriate)
- Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis based on risk and type of procedure
- Careful wound management and monitoring for signs of infection post-operatively
The aim is to protect against nosocomial infections and to maintain prosthesis integrity and vascular function
Wounds
In Germany, more than one million people suffer from chronic wounds. Over 70 per cent of these wounds are of vascular origin, including diabetic foot syndrome. Consequently, expertise in vascular surgery is particularly in demand in order to carry out professional and appropriate diagnosis and treatment of chronic wounds, as well as to provide vascular care. However, according to an analysis of health insurance data, only around 25 per cent of all those affected by chronic wounds have so far undergone a vascular medical assessment. Interventional or surgical treatment for people with chronic wounds is currently inadequate. Specialist medical care is an essential quality feature in interdisciplinary and interprofessional wound care and thus represents a vital link. To date, it has been under-represented. However, due to demographic change and the high average age of 70, a steadily growing number of people affected is to be expected. The situation is exacerbated by years of chronic wound management characterised by numerous recurrences and a reduced quality of life. This presents a medical and socio-economic challenge.
In comparison with approximately 32,000 carotid patients and 28,000 patients with an aortic aneurysm requiring treatment, more than one million patients with chronic wounds still do not receive the necessary attention and appropriate treatment. In particular, the causal treatment of vascular wounds and appropriate wound care provided under one roof make vascular surgery the ideal point of contact for people with chronic wounds. The Wound Commission of the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine possesses this expertise and is committed to bringing the issue of wounds even more firmly into the focus of vascular surgery. It also recognises the need to improve the qualifications of vascular surgeons.
Septic vascular surgery
Septic vascular surgery deals with the diagnosis and treatment of infected vessels and vascular prostheses. The field of treatment encompasses, in particular, infections of vascular prostheses, fungal aneurysms and infected native vessels. Treatment options usually combine surgery and antibiotics:
- Surgical debridement involving the removal of infected material, followed by reconstruction where necessary (e.g. using an autologous vein, allograft or antibiotic-impregnated prosthesis)
Antibiotic therapy tailored to the identified pathogen, often involving long-term or lifelong suppressive
treatment The aim is to control the infection, reconstruct the vessel and maintain blood flow.
Activities:
- Modern wound management as a core area of vascular surgery
- Organisation of wound management courses with DGFW and ICW recertification options for vascular surgery staff (doctors and Allied Health Professionals)
- Collaboration with the Commission on Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAVD) and Diabetic Foot
- Member of the S3 Guideline Committee on hard-to-heal and/or chronic wounds (2023)
- Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the German Wound Congress in Bremen and the Nuremberg Wound Congress
- Member of the National Care Guideline on the Diabetic Foot
- Representative for the Wound Commission and the DGG on the German Wound Council
- Involvement in committees of the DGFW, the ICW and the Hamburg Wound Centre e.V.
- Certification of the Wound Centre with the ICW Wound Seal, specialising in DGG
- Awareness campaign ‘Your Wound in Our Hands’
Contact:
Dr Thomas Karl
, SLK Clinics Heilbronn – Klinikum am Plattenwald
, Department of Vascular and Endovascular
Surgery, Am Plattenwald 1
, 74177 Bad Friedrichshall
. Tel.: +49 (0)7136 28 53001
. Fax: +49 (0)7136 28 4753001
Email: thomas.karl(at)slk-kliniken.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Tomislav Stojanovic (Wolfsburg)
Members:
PD Dr Dorothee Bail (Stuttgart)
PD Dr Mansur Duran (Gelsenkirchen)
Dr Michael Engelhardt (Ulm)
PD Dr Peter Fellmer, habil. (Duisburg)
Dr Daniel Hinck (Hamburg)
Prof. Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr, MD (Augsburg)
Prof. Johannes Kalder, MD (Gießen)
Dr Ahmed Murtaja (Heidelberg)
Prof. Mathias Wilhelmi (Hildesheim)
Objectives of the Commission:
- Development of a cross-specialist training curriculum on ‘Disasters and Mass Casualty Incidents’ with the DGCH as the umbrella organisation
- Revision of the S3 guidelines on polytrauma/care of the seriously injured, 2021. Chapter on the management of vascular injuries
- Revision of the S2k guidelines on vascular injuries, 2021
- Continuing professional development courses and lectures on ‘temporary intraluminal shunting, Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA)’ and Tactical Abbreviated Surgical Care (TASC)
- Collaboration with authorities and institutions in the fields of emergency care and emergency surgery
Activities:
Various presentations at conferences, events and symposia
Contact:
Prof. Dr med Tomislav Stojanovic
Wolfsburg
Hospital Sauerbruchstr. 7
38440 Wolfsburg
Tel.: +49 (0)5361 80-1588
Fax: +49 (0)5361 80-1689
Email: Tomislav.Stojanovic(at)Klinikum.Wolfsburg.de
Chair:
PD Dr Rolf Weidenhagen (Munich)
Members:
Dr Matthias Albrecht (Berlin)
Dr Julia Härtl (Wasserburg am Inn)
Dr Felix Härtl (Wasserburg am Inn)
Prof. Dr Irene Hinterseher (Neuruppin)
Dr Ioannis Passaloglou (Berlin)
Dr Jan David Süss (Eschweiler)
Objectives of the Commission:
The Commission connects the DGG and its members in the context of climate and vascular health, with a view to promoting the following:
- the transfer of information from the scientific community, societal stakeholders and policymakers on climate change and health into the field of vascular surgery.
- the dissemination of knowledge and practical skills regarding climate protection and adaptation to vascular surgeons
- the provision of knowledge and practical skills regarding vascular health protection to societal stakeholders in the policy field of climate change
To this end, the Commission is collaborating with other scientific institutions and associations to identify how vascular surgery can minimise its environmental impact as efficiently as possible whilst maintaining the highest possible health standards.
Information on climate and vascular health
Contact:
PD Dr Rolf Weidenhagen
, Neuperlach
Hospital, Oskar-Maria-Graf-Ring 51
, 81737 Munich
. Telephone: +49 (0)89-67942591
Fax: +49 (0)89-67942724
Email: rolf.weidenhagen(at)klinikum-muenchen.de
Chair:
Dr Thomas Nowak (Mönchengladbach)
Members:
Prof. Marko Aleksic, MD (Cologne)
Prof. Kai Balzer, MD (Bonn)
Ramin Banafsche, MD (Starnberg)
Dr Hinrich Böhner (Dortmund)
PD Dr Philip Düppers (Essen)
PD Dr Peter Fellmer (Duisburg)
Prof. Bruno Geier (Moers)
Dr Dominik Jost (Ravensburg)
Dr Ulrike Klemp (Soest)
Prof. Knut Kröger (Krefeld)
Dr Siamak Pourhassan (Oberhausen)
Objectives of the Commission:
- To increase knowledge of conservative vascular therapy
- Strengthening cooperation between the scientific societies involved in vascular medicine
Activities:
- ‘Questions from Practice’ section in our journal ‘Gefäßchirurgie’
- Revision of various AWMF guidelines
- Various presentations at conferences, events and symposia
Contact:
Dr Thomas Nowak
, Kliniken Maria Hilf GmbH
, Viersener Str. 450
, 41063 Mönchengladbach
, Tel: +49 (0)2161 892-1341
, Email: thomas.nowak(at)mariahilf.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Eike Sebastian Debus (Hamburg)
Members:
Prof. Dr med. Daniela Branzan (Munich)
Prof. Dr med. Dittmar Böckler (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr med. Bernhard Dorweiler (Cologne)
Prof. Dr med. Irene Hinterseher (Neuruppin)
Prof. Dr med. Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr (Augsburg)
Prof. Dr med. Alexander Meyer (Berlin)
Prof. Dr med. Alexander Oberhuber (Münster)
Prof. Dr Kyriakos Oikonomou (Frankfurt am Main)
Prof. Dr Hubert Schelzig (Düsseldorf)
Prof. Dr Christian Uhl (Aachen)
Contact:
Prof. Dr Eike Sebastian Debus
University Heart and Vascular Centre
Department of Vascular
Medicine Martinistraße 52
20246 Hamburg
Telephone: +49 (0)40 7410 53178
Email: s.debus(at)uke.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Arend Billing (Heusenstamm) and Prof. Dr Gerd Lulay (Rheine)
Members:
Dr Simon Classen (Bad Nauheim)
, Dr Sven Gregor (Düsseldorf)
, Dr Michael Grimm (Nuremberg)
and Andreas Wenke (Münster)
Objectives of the Commission:
- To represent the DGG in the relevant federal committees (the standing DRG Commission of the AWMF and BÄK, and the DRG Commission of the DGCH and the BDC).
Activities:
- Point of contact for enquiries regarding coding, DRG and the GOÄ
- Analysis of structural and service data
- Participation in the annual further development of the classification systems (OPS and ICD) and the DRG system
- Further development of the GOÄ
- Point of contact for health insurance funds and policymakers
- Organisation of information and training events for DGG members
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Arend Billing
Tel. 0151-72484058
Email: Arend.billing(at)gmx.de
Prof. Dr med Gerd Lulay
Tel: 05971-2724
Email: GLulay(at)aol.com
Chair:
Prof. Dr Bernhard Dorweiler (Cologne)
Members:
Dr Oana Bartos, MD (Wiesbaden)
Prof. Christian-Alexander Behrendt, MD (Hamburg)
Dr Johannes Hatzl, MD (Heidelberg)
Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp, MD (Osnabrück)
PD. Dr Grischa Hoffmann (Kiel)
PD Dr Benedikt Reutersberg (Zurich)
Prof. Dr Christian Uhl (Aachen)
Objectives:
Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation are buzzwords that are currently dominating all media and sectors, describing a disruptive process that will have a lasting and far-reaching impact on medicine and our working lives. As with any new technology, this also brings with it potential opportunities, risks and fears. By establishing this committee, the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine (DGG) has sought to comprehensively research, collate and present background information on these technologies that is relevant to its members. Furthermore, the Commission is available to initiate and support scientific projects in this field, and to act as a point of contact for members, funding bodies, policymakers, third-party funders and industry.
The key focus areas of the Commission for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation are:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Virtual/augmented reality
- 3D printing/rapid prototyping
- Robotics/navigation
- Big Data
These five focus areas were selected by members as relevant to the DGG as part of a DGG-wide survey (2024) initiated by the Commission.
Publications:
- “Disruptive Technologies and Vascular Surgery: Will we eventually be replaced, or is it time to help shape the future?”
on the survey results of the AI 2024 Commission - “Artificial Intelligence in Vascular Surgery – A Critical Review”
for publication in the journal Gefäßchirurgie
Activities:
As the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was rated by members as the most important of the five focus areas, the DGG subsequently drew up an AI agenda at the strategy conference (2024), the DGG drew up an AI agenda focusing on three thematic areas and three fields of action, placing these at the centre of the commission’s work in this regard:
DGG AI Agenda
Thematic Areas
- Image & Risk Analysis
- AI-assisted simulation (teaching & continuing professional development)
- AI support for routine tasks (drafting of doctors’ reports, coding, speech recognition)
Areas of Action
- Market overview for AI applications (with reference to the subject areas)
- AI Awareness (Conference participation, drafting of a position paper on the responsible use of AI in vascular medicine)
- Establishment of an AI hub (point of contact for industry, development of a training data pool)
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Dorweiler
University Hospital of Cologne
Department of Vascular Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Kerpener Str. 62
50937 Cologne
Tel: +49 (0) 221-4783 2498
Email: bernhard.dorweiler(at)uk-koeln.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Thomas Bürger (Rostock)
Members:
Prof. Dr Farzin Adili (Darmstadt)
Prof. Dr Nikolaos Tsilimparis (Munich)
Objectives:
The Guidelines Commission coordinates the work of its members in this field. It oversees the development, publication and implementation of the guidelines. The Committee commissions a DGG working group or a group of experts to draw up a guideline. It reviews the evidence underlying guidelines submitted by its working groups or neighbouring Scientific Societies in which DGG representatives have been involved. The Chair reviews the guidelines submitted to him, together with the members of the Guidelines Commission and, where appropriate, other experts, in terms of content, methodology, evidence, consensus-building, independence, authors’ rights and patient information.
- Coordination of all activities relating to the development of guidelines by DGG members
- Support with the development, drafting and implementation
- where appropriate, liaising with the AWMF and other Scientific Societies
- Review and liaison with the DGG’s Office and Executive Board
Activities:
- Confirmation, submission and ongoing recording of current activities, and support for our members in the clinical guidelines process (DGG, S1, S2, S3 and NVL)
- Extensive email correspondence and verbal/telephone consultations
- Participation in and liaison with AWMF continuing professional development events and passing on information to the Executive Board
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Thomas Bürger
Email: thombuerger(at)googlemail.com
Chair:
Prof. Dr med. Ulrich Rother (Erlangen)
Members:
Prof. Dr Christian-Alexander Behrendt (Hamburg)
Dr Simon Classen (Bad Nauheim)
Dr Dmitriy Dovzhanskiy (Heidelberg/Heppenheim)
Claudia Fischer (Rheine)
Dr Hartmut Görtz (Lingen)
Prof. Axel Larena-Avellaneda (Hamburg)
Dr Julia Meier (Hanover)
PD Dr Achim Neufang (Mainz)
PD Dr Konstantinos Stavroulakis (Rheine)
Prof. Christian Uhl (Aachen)
Dr Ursula Werra (Cologne)
Objectives of the Commission:
- Raising awareness of the prevalence and severity of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) as an indicator of overall arterial health
- Prevention, revascularisation and appropriate wound management to reduce the number of amputations in people with diabetic foot syndrome (DFS)
- Production of scientific papers on PAD and DFS
- Promoting further training in open surgery and endovascular procedures
Activities:
- Joint scientific publications on PAD and DFS
- Updating existing guidelines (NVL, S3 LL PAD)
- Committee work, establishing links with related disciplines
- Public relations
- Collaboration with the German Diabetes Centre (DDZ) at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf on issues relating to the incidence of amputations in DFS
- Analysis of registry data sets
- Establishing foot surgery within vascular surgery
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Ulrich Rother
Department
of Vascular Surgery University Hospital Erlangen
Krankenhaustrasse 12
91054 Erlangen
Email: ulrich.rother(at)uk-erlangen.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Michael Gawenda (Eschweiler)
Members:
Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Wael Ahmad (Cologne)
Dr. med. Daphne Gray (Eschweiler)
Prof. Dr. med. Jörg Heckenkamp (Osnabrück)
Dr Jan-David Süss (Düsseldorf)
Dr Knut Walluschek (Flensburg)
Prof. Heiner Wenk (Schwanewede)
Objectives:
Interdisciplinary work on clinical and scientific issues in perioperative vascular medicine.
Activities:
- Members of the Commission have played a key role in drafting several guidelines. Examples include the S3 guideline on acute pain, as well as the guideline on perioperative vascular therapy.
- In recent years, the Commission on Perioperative Medicine has successfully organised and conducted regular scientific sessions at the annual conferences of our Scientific Society. We are currently focusing on operations under local anaesthesia and the ‘Patient Blood Management’ project.
- The BDC ‘Vascular Surgery’ seminars, as well as the corresponding sessions during our Scientific Society’s Summer Academy, are prepared by members of the Commission; perioperative vascular medicine also has its own module within the DGG’s EVA® training programme.
Our scientific papers have been and continue to be published predominantly in the journal *Gefässchirurgie*, published by Springer.
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Michael Gawenda
St. Antonius Hospital, Eschweiler
Department of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Dechant-Deckers-Straße 8
252249 Eschweiler
Tel: +49 (0)2403 76-1810
Fax: +49 (0)2403 76-1886
Email: michael.gawenda(at)sah-eschweiler.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Claus-Georg Schmedt (Schwäbisch Hall)
Members:
Mohammad Barbati (Aachen)
Prof. Dr Bruno Geier (Moers)
PD Dr Houman Jalaie (Aachen)
Dr Kristina Korsake (Radolfzell on Lake Constance)
PD Dr Dominic Mühlberger (Linz)
Dr Rudolf Müller (Lucerne)
Dr Jochen Peter (Wiesbaden)
Dr Kerstin Schick (Munich)
Dr Abhay Setia (Darmstadt)
Dr Jörg Teßarek (Lingen)
Objectives of the Commission:
- To improve the state of knowledge regarding the conservative and surgical treatment of venous pathologies
- Interdisciplinary work on clinical and scientific issues relating to venous pathologies
- Drawing up and updating guidelines for the treatment of venous diseases
Activities:
To raise public awareness of the phlebology work carried out by vascular surgeons, as well as within the Scientific Society itself (DGG), workshops are to be offered under the auspices of the Commission on Phlebology. To this end, a curriculum is to be developed, which will be certified by the German Society for Vascular Surgery and Vascular Medicine (DGG), as well as by the private Academy for Continuing Medical Education and the German Society for Phlebology (DGP). The aim is to utilise these workshops for in-service training in phlebology.
A register of interventional treatments for chronic occlusions of deep veins is currently being prepared; this will be managed by the DIGG.
As a measure to attract young talent, vascular surgical phlebology, with its wide-ranging scope, is to be presented to young doctors within the framework of the Young Doctors’ Forum.
To improve public awareness amongst patients, the media and industry, as well as within the medical profession, the next generation of doctors and the Scientific Society itself, dedicated forums for patients and referring doctors are to be offered.
Another focus of the commission’s work is the establishment of a quality assurance scheme for varicose veins, which is being coordinated by the DIGG.
Contact:
Prof. Dr Claus-Georg Schmedt
Diakonie-Klinikum Schwäbisch Hall gGmbH
Diakoniestr. 10
74523 Schwäbisch Hall
Tel: +49 (0)791-753 5151
Email: claus-georg.schmedt(at)diak-klinikum.de
Chair:
PD Dr Matthias Trenner (Wiesbaden)
Members:
Prof. Dr med Christian-Alexander Behrendt (Hamburg)
Dr med Daphne Gray (Eschweiler)
Prof. Dr med Irene Hinterseher (Neuruppin)
Prof. Dr med Drosos Kotelis (Bern, Switzerland)
Prof. Dr Andreas Kühnl (Weiden)
Prof. Dr Thomas Noppeney (Spardorf)
Objectives of the Commission:
- Assessment of quality indicators
- Optimisation and evaluation of registries
Activities:
- Liaison with various bodies such as the G-BA and IQTiG
- Various presentations at conferences, events and symposia
Contact:
PD Dr Matthias Trenner,
St Joseph’s Hospital, Wiesbaden
Department of Vascular Medicine
Beethovenstr. 20
65189 Wiesbaden
Tel: +49 (0)0611-177 1351
Email: mtrenner(at)joho.de
Chair:
Dr Siegfried Krishnabhakdi (Osnabrück)
Members:
Dr Martin Beck (Neumarkt)
Dr Silke Brunkwall (Malmö, Sweden)
Dr Frederico Lomonaco Cuellar (Lünen)
Dr Dimitrios Tsantilas (Augsburg)
Dr Pavlos Tsantilas (Augsburg)
PD Dr Georgios Meimarakis (Landshut)
Objectives of the Commission:
- the training and further education of vascular surgeons in ultrasound diagnostics
- the development of time-efficient and treatment-oriented duplex sonography examination protocols in vascular diagnostics
- the further development of ultrasound diagnostics in areas relevant to vascular surgery, including the creation of diagnostic algorithms or studies on specific examination methods
Activities:
- Ultrasound training courses for vascular surgeons (DEGUM-certified) and vascular surgery residents
- Interdisciplinary collaboration and liaison with the DEGUM Vascular Working Group
- Contribution to the development of guidelines on non-invasive diagnostics, including
- the ‘Vascular Ultrasound’ section in the journal ‘Gefäßchirurgie’
- Various presentations at conferences, events and symposia
Contact:
Dr Siegfried Krishnabhakdi
, Osnabrück
University Hospital, Department of Vascular Surgery, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery
Am Finkenhügel 1
49076 Osnabrück
Tel. 0541 – 405 6901
Email: Siegfried.Krishnabhakdi(at)klinikum-os.de
Head:
Dr Kristina Korsake (Reichenau)
Members:
Prof. Dr Dr med Konstantinos Donas (Langen)
Dr med Julia Härtl (Wasserburg)
Dr med Carola Marie Hoffmann-Wieker (Heidelberg)
Dr Sindy König (Freital)
Dr Homam Osman (Rendsburg)
PD Dr Barbara Rantner (Munich)
Dr Pavlos Tsantilas (Augsburg)
Dr Frauke Verrel (Bonn)
Objectives of the Commission:
The Diversity and Integration Commission is committed to equal opportunities, diversity and a respectful, inclusive working culture in vascular surgery. It takes a comprehensive view of diversity, taking into account, amongst other things, gender, origin, age, cultural background, educational pathways and different lifestyles and family structures.
A particular focus is on the integration of doctors of foreign origin. The aim is to identify challenges faced when entering the German healthcare system, in further training and in professional development, and to develop ways to improve professional and social integration.
Other key issues include work-life balance, family-friendly working structures and the promotion of women in vascular surgery, particularly in leadership roles.
The Commission aims not only to describe diversity, but also to identify specific areas for action based on scientific data and to develop practical solutions in collaboration with the members of the DGG. This is in line with the DGG’s mission statement, which explicitly recognises diversity and the varied experiences of those working in the healthcare sector as the foundation of good medicine.
Key areas of focus for the Commission:
- Diversity and equal opportunities in vascular surgery
- Integration of foreign doctors and those with diverse educational backgrounds
- Promoting women and career development
- Balancing family, work and career
- Family-friendly working and training conditions
- Intercultural collaboration and integration within diverse teams
- Scientific assessment of diversity and existing structural challenges
Activities:
- DGG-wide survey in 2025 on the current state of diversity, integration and working conditions in vascular surgery
- Development of concrete recommendations and projects based on the data collected
- Annual meetings and academic presentations at DGG congresses
- Presentations, panel discussions and forums on diversity, integration, family and career, as well as the advancement of women
- Identification of barriers faced by internationally trained doctors and the development of approaches to improve their integration
- Collaboration with other DGG commissions and committees on cross-cutting issues
Contact:
Dr Kristina Korsake
, MVZ PI GmbH
, Am Wollmatinger Ried 1
, 78479 Reichenau
Head:
PD Dr Katrin Meisenbacher (Heidelberg)
Members:
Prof. Dr Farzin Adili (Darmstadt)
Dr Matthias Bürger (Kiel)
Dr Dmitriy Dovzhanskiy (Heppenheim)
Associate Professor Dr Johannes Gahlen (Ludwigsburg)
Dr Carmen Georg (Königs Wusterhausen)
Dr Yvonne Goßlau (Augsburg)
Andreas Knauf (Gersthofen)
Dr Eliane von Klitzing (Berlin)
Dr Matthäus Zerdzitzki (Regensburg)
Objectives of the Commission:
- Training of medical students (in collaboration with the Convention of University Vascular Surgeons)
- Specialist training in vascular surgery
- Continuing education and further qualification for specialists
- Organisation and delivery of courses, workshops and seminars
- Development of management and leadership skills
- Planning and development of a research portfolio
Activities:
- Developing competence-based learning objectives in vascular medicine for the pre-clinical and clinical stages of study, as well as the clinical placement year
- Central coordination of teaching and assessment methods to support vascular surgery lecturers in designing their lectures, teaching sessions, courses and examinations
- Centralised development of teaching curricula, teaching materials, case vignettes and examination blueprints
- Supporting the Institute for Medical and Pharmaceutical Examination Questions (IMPP) in compiling a competence-based syllabus and designing practical state examination papers in accordance with the Master Plan 2020
- Development of examination questions
- Planning and delivery of extracurricular introductory courses in suturing and endovascular techniques for medical students
- Supporting trainers in the implementation of the amended further training regulations
- Support in establishing specialist training networks
- Supporting trainees in planning and undertaking their further training, as well as in acquiring extracurricular skills and preparing for the specialist medical examination
- Various presentations at conferences, events and symposia
Contact:
PD Dr Katrin Meisenbacher
, Heidelberg
University Hospital, Im Neuenheimer Feld 672
, 69120 Heidelberg
. Telephone: 06221 56-0
. Fax: 06221 56-5999
. Email: katrin.meisenbacher(at)med.uni-heidelberg.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Maani Hakimi (Lucerne)
Members:
Prof. Dr med. Farzin Adili (Darmstadt)
Prof. Dr med. Bernhard Dorweiler (Cologne)
PD Dr med. Alexander Gombert (Aachen)
Dr med. Johannes Hatzl (Heidelberg)
Prof. Dr med. Johannes Hoffmann (Essen)
Dr Joscha Mulorz (Düsseldorf)
Prof. Thomas Schmitz-Rixen, MD (Frankfurt am Main)
PD Dr Florian Simon (Düsseldorf)
Prof. Sabine Wipper, MD (Innsbruck)
Objectives of the Commission:
- To act as a scientific ‘thought leader and catalyst’
- Initiating and, where appropriate, implementing scientific projects
- Preparation of position papers for publication in the journal *Vascular Surgery*
- Collaboration with scientific bodies and institutions (AWMF, DFG, BfARM, SDGC, SCF, NGG)
- Responsibility for study funding in cooperation with the DIGG.
- Assessment of research awards
- Helping to organise basic research sessions at conferences
- Cooperation with the DIGG on the financial implementation of research projects
- Development of a publication strategy for the Scientific Society
Activities:
- Monthly distribution of a newsletter on research funding
- Preparing for the DFG committee elections
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Maani Hakimi
Lucerne Cantonal Hospital
, Department of Vascular Surgery
, Spitalstrasse, 6000 Lucerne – Switzerland
Tel.: 0041 41 205 4888
Email: maani.hakimi(at)luks.ch
Chair:
PD Dr Thomas Schmandra (Offenbach)
Members:
Dr Holger Claßen (Oberhausen)
Prof. Eike Sebastian Debus (Hamburg)
Dr Hartmut Görtz (Lingen)
Dr Kristian Nitschmann (Herford)
Dr Thomas Nowak (Essen)
Dr Siamak Pourhassan (Oberhausen)
Prof. Markus Steinbauer (Regensburg)
Section concept:
With the continuing professional development courses ‘Vascular Assistance’ and ‘Endovascular Assistance’, a suitable training and continuing professional development programme has been developed and the specialist qualifications ‘Vascular Assistance’ and ‘Endovascular Assistance’ have been defined. They are highly sought-after specialists in hospitals and, both organisationally and professionally, report to doctors and act on medical instructions.
Contact:
PD Dr Thomas Schmandra
, Sana Klinikum Offenbach, Vascular
Surgery and Vascular Centre
, Starkenburgring 66
, 63069 Offenbach
, Tel.: +49 (0)69-8405-5590
, Email: thomas.schmandra(at)sana.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Kyriakos Oikonomou (Frankfurt)
Deputy Head:
Prof. Dr Ingolf Töpel (Regensburg)
Members:
Dr Reza Ghotbi (Munich)
Dr Thomas Grube (Chemnitz)
Dr Marcel Hofmann (Amerang)
Rustam Khodzhibaev (Brandenburg an der Havel)
Dr Thomas May (Cologne)
Prof. Alexander Oberhuber, MD (Münster)
Viktor Reichert, MD, PhD (Sindelfingen)
Prof. Alexander Stehr (Mülheim an der Ruhr)
Prof. Dr Tomislav Stojanovic (Wolfsburg)
Dr Christian Wack (Munich)
PD Dr Rolf Weidenhagen (Munich)
Dr Heiko Wendorff (Ebersberg)
Section concept:
Endovascular training is enshrined as an integral part of the specialist training regulations of the medical associations for ‘specialists in vascular surgery’. However, the requirements for specialist training vary considerably between German hospitals. Nor does the range of activities in every department encompass the full spectrum of modern vascular therapy. Consequently, the scope of the training authorisation differs between trainers and institutions.
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Kyriakos Oikonomou
Frankfurt
University Hospital Theodor-Stern-Kai
7 60596 Frankfurt am Main
Tel.: +49 (0)69 63014149
Email: kyriakos.oikonomou(at)kgu.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr (Augsburg)
Members:
Dr Daniel Hinck (Hamburg)
Dr Carola Hoffmann-Wieker (Speyer)
Mr Stephan Masius (Augsburg)
PD Dr Ulrich Rother (Erlangen)
Dr Frank Schönenberg (Berlin)
Dr Axel Stübinger (Nuremberg)
PD Dr Sebastian Zerwes (Augsburg)
Section concept:
The Vascular Surgical Techniques Section ensures that a range of courses is available to colleagues and is continually developed, covering both general and highly specialised further training in vascular surgery. This has resulted in the creation of numerous courses for early-career surgeons (common trunk), basic courses for surgeons and vascular surgeons in training, masterclasses for vascular surgeons, and innovation courses. Among other things, the section organises the open-surgery courses during the Summer Academy.
Contact:
Prof Dr med Alexander Hyhlik-Dürr
Augsburg
University Hospital Stenglinstr. 2
86156 Augsburg
Tel: +49 (0)821-400 26 55
Email: alexander.hyhlik-duerr(at)uk-augsburg.de
Chair:
Prof. Dr Markus Steinbauer (Regensburg)
Members:
Prof. Dr Thomas Bürger (Rostock)
Dr Hans-Joachim Florek (Freital)
Dr Daphne Gray (Eschweiler)
Prof. Jörg Heckenkamp (Osnabrück)
Prof. Thomas Hupp (Stuttgart)
Prof. Alexander Meyer (Berlin)
PD Dr Ralph-Ingo Rückert (Berlin)
Prof. Thomas Schmitz-Rixen (Frankfurt am Main)
PD Dr Matthias Trenner (Wiesbaden)
Prof. Heiner Wenk (Bremen)
Objectives of the Section:
- Improving quality through interdisciplinary patient care
- Closer integration of outpatient and inpatient care
- Better positioning within an increasingly competitive and economically driven healthcare system
- Optimising our external profile by expanding the range of diagnoses and treatments
Contact:
Prof. Dr med. Markus Steinbauer
Barmherzige Brüder Hospital, Regensburg
Department of Vascular Surgery
Prüfeninger Str. 86
93049 Regensburg
Tel.: +49 (0)941-369-92220
Email: markus.steinbauer(at)barmherzige-regensburg.de