ZWEICHIRURGENCenter for Hernia Surgery & ProctologySt. Johanns-Vorstadt 44CH-4056 Basel How to get there Tel. +41 61 7119000 Fax +41 61 7119005 Make an appointment online
Emergency Consultationsweekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. by appointment
Welcome to our practice directly on the Rhine River in the heart of Basel. We are a team of two surgeons, Prof Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff and Dr. Henry Hoffmann, our concept is based on taking the time to hear your questions and problems and then creating a treatment strategy based on a comprehensive understanding of your individual needs. We will coordinate a seamless first consultation in our office and if necessary a hassle free short hospital stay in one of the top private clinics in Switzerland. In addition, we keep your general practitioner informed and updated on the outcome of your time under our care. We offer our many years of surgical experience where we specialized on cutting edge treatments for all types of hernias and proctologic diseases. In addition we perform standard surgical procedures such as gallbladder and intestinal resections. We aim to build a relationship of trust and a high quality surgical experience with you. We look forward to your visit. Prof Dr. med. Philipp Kirchhoff PD Dr. med. Henry Hoffmann
ZweiChirurgen at the annual congress for robotic surgery in Ghent (Belgium)Dr Hoffmann is a speaker and moderator here together with international experts.Website
ZweiChirurgen with a new book publication!PD Dr Henry Hoffmann and Dr Debora Nowakowski from ZweiChirurgen have again contributed to the second edition of «Facharztwissen Viszeralchirurgie». The chapter «Emergency Surgery» deals with the optimal care of acute, surgical abdominal diseases.
ZweiChirurgen at the joint Congress of the European and Americas Hernia Society in CopenhagenMore then 1000 participants went to Copenhagen to get updated at the joint congress of the European (EHS) and Americas Hernia Society (AHS) in the field of hernia surgery. PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen was invited as an expert to give lectures and moderate sessions. Also, for the first time there were exams to get the diploma for the new European surgical qualification in the field of «Abdominal Wall Surgery» (AWS). PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann was one examiners. Additionally, Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Hoffmann were awarded with the honorary diploma for the news surgical qualification «Abdominal Wall Surgery». Website
ZweiChirurgen speak at the European Society of Coloproctology (ESCP)At this year's virtual annual congress, Prof. Philipp Kirchhoff, spoke about the latest findings on the prevention of parastomal hernia.website
Virtual contribution of the ZweiChirurgen at the Hollister Autumn Days 2021Prof. Philipp Kirchhoff spoke in front of 70 stoma therapists about the topic «Parastomal Hernia» and led a lively discussion in Zurich.website
ZweiChirurgen in important hernia workshop in DavosPD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen was again invited as an expert and instructor for the annual international hernia workshop in Davos. In the «Davoscourse» young surgeons learn basics but also advanced surgical techniques to treat hernias. More then 250 participants from 19 countries took part.Website
ZweiChirurgen with successful Swiss Hernia DaysDespite the difficult corona situation, Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann were able to organize the most important Swiss hernia congress for the fourth time. Participants and speakers from 18 countries found their way to Basel to discuss current developments and controversies in hernia surgery for two days. WebsiteMany thanks also to the OP Team of the Merian Iselin Klinik for the professional running of the Live-OPs.
ZweiChirurgen as experts at Hernien-WorkshopPD Dr. Henry Hoffmann as instructor and expert at the Hernia Workshop in Bad Saarow (Germany). Standards and new techniques in hernia surgery are taught to numerous surgeons from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.Medizin im Grünen
Welcome Debora Nowakowski!Debora Nowakowski, MD, is a specialist in surgery (FMH) and joins the ZweiChirurgen team of physicians with immediate effect. Dr. Nowakowski completed her specialist training at renowned clinics in Switzerland and most recently worked as a senior physician at the Bruderholz Cantonal Hospital.We are happy and proud to welcome Dr. Nowakowski to our team.
ZweiChirurgen with important publication regarding diastasic rectiTogether with co-authors from Austria, Germany and Switzerland PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann has published an important paper regarding repair of diastasis recti (DR). The main topic of the report was the standardized recording of the surgical repair of DR.Over 40 different techniques are described of which most are not well evaluated with a low level of evidence. To improve the level of evidence, the surgical techniques of DR repair should be recorded in registers, such as the «Herniamed» registry.
Finally pain free...!In episode 6 of his documentary «Alex Wilson's long road to Tokyo» released in july, the world-class sprinter reports how the operation of the groin at ZweiChirurgen finally allowed pain-free sprints and training sessions again. We keep our fingers crossed for Alex, the new European record holder over 100m and Swiss record holder over 200m for Tokyo! Go Alex...!«Alex Wilson's long road to Tokyo — records, injuries and a tragic loss». The full story on Basel online (german/registration required)
ZweiChirurgen operating at the Merian-Iselin-ClinicFrom the 1st July on ZweiChirurgen will treat and operate their inpatient clients exclusively at the Merian-Iselin-Clinic. This clinic located in the center of Basel is of high renown in north-west Switzerland. Beside its high-quality and comfortable treatment if the patients the clinic provides a larger network of interdisciplinary cooperation between surgeons, urologists, gynecologists and orthopedic surgeons. website
PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff receive «Honorary Diploma for Abdominal Wall Surgery» of the European Union of Medical Specialists (U.E.M.S.)Due to their clinical and scientific experience and their commitment for the surgical education in the field of hernia surgery PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff received the «Honorary Diploma of Abdominal Wall Surgery» by the European Union of Medical Specialists (U.E.M.S.). This diploma is awarded to surgeons, who are highly specialized in hernia and abdominal wall surgery. The diplomas will be handed out during the joint congress of the European (EHS) and Americans Hernia Society (AHS) in October 2021 in Copenhagen, Denmark. link
Swiss Hernia Days 2021 confirmedOrganized by PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff from ZweiChirurgen the Swiss Hernia Days are confirmed to take place on the 9th and 10th September 2021 in Basel, Switzerland.After a break in 2020 due to the Corona pandemic the two surgeons were able to invite renown national and International experts to Basel, to update Swiss surgeons in the field of hernia surgery. 300-400 participants are expected to join the congress in site at the Congress Center Basel.link
Publication alert regarding inguinal hernia repairTogether with colleagues from Austria and Germany PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen could publish an important work regarding risk factors in inguinal hernia repair. With this data it is now possible to evaluate the patients’ individual risk much better before the operation, which allows a better consenting process.link
ZweiChirurgen as co-authors in a new standard book of hernia surgeryIn the chapter «Bilateral transabdominal inguinal hernia repair in the Stoppa-technique» Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann describe tipps and tricks to successfully master this technique.link (german)
ZweiChirurgen as Experts at important Hernia conferencePD Dr. Henry Hoffmann was again one of the experts at the annual „Hernientage“ and «Herniamed Studientreffen». Together with expert colleagues from Austria, Germany and Switzerland he updated the virtually attending 600 participants on the newest trends and findings in hernia surgery. The topics PD Dr. Hoffmann was talking about were «Inguinal Hernia Repair in Male Patients - Influencing Factors in Outcome» and «News in the Parastomalen Hernia Repair».5. HERNIAMED Studientreffen
Chronic Inguinal Pain — Cooperation beyond cantonal boardersChronic postoperative inguinal pain (CPIP) is a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge following inguinal hernia repair. For many years ZweiChirurgen are treating patients from all over Switzerland with this condition. Sometimes it is more convenient for the patients to get their surgery for CPIP close to their place of residence. This week PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann operated a patient with CPIP in the Cantonal Hospital Aarau with the referring colleague Dr. Alexander Gräfitsch, senior physician surgery.link to Cantonal Hospital Aarau
ZweiChirurgen Annual Report 2020Our Annual Report 2020 is available for download (german).
ZweiChirurgen celebrating 2-year anniversaryExactly two years ago at the 5th November 2018 ZweiChirurgen started their practice and treated the first patients in the heart of Basel.We would like to thank all patients, referring doctors and colleagues for their trustful collaboration.
ZweiChirurgen with exciting publicationTogether with colleagues from Germany and Austria PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen has investigated the trends in incisional hernia repair in the last decade using data from the European Herniamed registry. The result was surprising but also expected: the new minimally invasive techniques such as MILOS are on the rise. In contrast to the conventional laparoscopic techniques, the implanted mesh to support the abdominal wall is moved from inside the abdominal cavity to an extraperitoneal layer behind the abdominal wall muscles to avoid contact with the viscera. Therefore, the MILOS repair is the standard for the repair of ventral hernias at ZweiChirurgen.link to the article
ZweiChirurgen with important publicationTogether with colleagues from all over the world Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff from ZweiChirurgen has published a very important work in the highly ranked medical journal «BMJ». Analyzing more than 2500 operations the researcher team developed a classification of intraoperative complications, called IntraClass. Based on this new classification system intraoperative complications can be assessed more easily, and subsequent postoperative management of surgical patients can be improved to enhance patient safety. Results of the study and the evaluated classification were also convincing to the Swiss Academy of Quality in Medicine (SAQM), which awarded this work with the «Innovation Quality Price» 2020 in the category patient safety.Read the article (pdf)Article on BMJ (pdf)The Certificate (pdf)
The Team growswe warmly welcome Ms. Melanie Steiger as our new practice assistant to the team of ZweiChirurgen.
PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff from ZweiChirurgen have again published an important article in a renown surgical journalIn the publication risk factors contributing to the complications and the outcomes of recurrent incisional hernia surgery were analyzed. This helps surgeons worldwide to better adjust the individual risk of patients undergoing such surgery. link to the publication
The fastest man of Switzerland successfully operated by ZweiChirurgenThe Swiss sprint star and fastest man Alex Wilson, record holder over 100m and 200 sprint and 3rd at the European Championship 2018 in the 200m sprint was successfully operated last week by Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen.Now, Alex can fully concentrate on the preparations for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. ZweiChirurgen kepp their fingers crossed for the upcoming races.
ZweiChirurgen start normal business at 27th April 2020According to the federal statements by the BAG we can start normal practice mode at the 27th April 2020 during the ongoing Corona-Pandemic. Therewith, you cannot only contact us, if you suffer from an emergency or urgent problem, but also - as usually - if you have other issues.Of course we will continue to obey the strong hygienic measures for all our patients in our practice. As long as the Corona-Pandemic is still affecting Switzerland, we would like to ask you keep your appointment unchaperoned. Please get in touch with us to make an appointment or us our convenient online booking tool via our website. Book an appointment
Patient information during Corona crisis Our practice will remain open during the Corona-pandemic. Please register our information regarding the processes in our practice during the next week.
Surgical emergencies during Corona-crisis Surgical emergencies make no break during the Corona pandemic. Beside washing your hands regularly, social distancing and avoiding larger gatherings is of utmost importance to slow down the virus disease. Therefore, we offer treatment of emergency cases in our practice, where you can avoid larger gathering with almost no waiting time. We also help to relieve the pressure from the hospitals emergency departments, which need all their power to fight the Corona pandemic. After telephonic registration we offer treatment of following surgical emergencies:
Dear Patients,The Corona visors has reached Switzerland. Although there is no reason to panic since most infected patients will not even develop symptoms, we take the infectious disease very serious. The best way to contain the spread of the virus is to consider very simple but efficient hygienic advises.
ZweiChirurgen published a new scientific journal articleTogether with experts from Germany and Austria PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff published an article in the renown surgical journal «Hernia» dealing with risk factors during surgical repair of incisional hernias. Results of this work contribute to the important consenting process ahead of such a surgery, addressing individual patients’ risk factors. Read the article
ZweiChirurgen at the annual surgical Tripartite MeetingTogether with other national and international experts Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff was invited to the annual Tripartite meeting for minimally-invasive surgery in Geneva. Acting as a speaker and moderator, Prof. Kirchhoff updated the participants in minimally-invasive hernia surgery. Tripartite Meeting
ZweiChirurgen at PhysioSwissDiastasis of recti is defined as the separation of the rectus muscles in the midline of the abdomen, which often appears after pregnancies. Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen have given a lecture at the PhysioSwiss education program to update the present physiotherapists about the latest treatment options for this disease. physioswiss.ch
Competency and Quality crossing cantonal boardersPD Dr. Henry Hoffmann from ZweiChirurgen and his Ticino colleague Dr. Andrea Donadini from Swiss Surgical Practice (Lugano) have successfully operated a joint patient in Lugano.
Swiss Hernia Society (SAHC) official chapter of the European Hernia Society (EHS)Thanks to the close and collaborative work of PD Dr. Hoffmann, Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff and other members of the SAHC faculty, an important step for the Swiss hernia surgery has been made: The SAHC has officially been accepted as a national chapter of the European Hernia Society (EHS). From now on, the collaboration with other European working groups regarding e.g. teaching and quality control in hernia surgery can be intensified. Also, the SAHC has now active influence in the EHS processes and decisions. Schweizer Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Hernien-Chirurgie (SAHC) Europäischen Herniengesellschaft (EHS)
Located in the historical neighborhood of St.Johan Vorstadt, we offer you a charming yet modern experience mixing architectiural design in a former book printing press build in 1xxx. Although this space has been converted into a doctor’s office you will enjoy our attention to detail, giving you the feeling of privacy and warmth. Your consultation itself will be in the Dr.’s private offices with gorgeous views of the Rhine.In addition to the reception and waiting room, the practice offers a meeting room and an intervention room. Here, we perform proctologic examinations and minor procedures under local anesthesia. We are equipped with state of the art instruments including a special Yag laser and a high-resolution examination camera. We are proud to say that our office and restroom are wheelchair accessible.
Prof Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff
Philipp Kirchhoff is a specialist in coloproctology and hernia surgery and teaches as a professor at the University of Basel.From 1996 to 2003 he studied medicine at the Universities of Freiburg, Vienna, Yale and Berlin. Philipp Kirchhoff began his surgical training at the University Hospital of Zurich and worked at various Swiss hospitals during his training.After obtaining his specialist title in surgery, he completed two years of research at Yale University (New Haven, CT USA). There he developed a new drug for the treatment of heartburn as part of his project. After his return, he worked as a senior physician at the Clinic for General and Visceral Surgery at the University Hospital of Basel since 2010 and habilitated in 2011 based on his research on "The Regulation of Gastric Acid Secretion".Philipp Kirchhoff subsequently completed a clinical fellowship at Cambridge University (U.K.) with a focus on minimally invasive colon surgery and proctology. In this field, he subsequently obtained the European Coloproctological Specialization (ESBQ). Until 2018 Philipp Kirchhoff was the senior consultant at the Clinic for Visceral Surgery at the University Hospital of Basel where he was in charge of general and private patients, resident training and department management.Philipp Kirchhoff is the inventor and developer of KORING®, a polyurethane ring device for the prevention of parastomal hernias. His surgical focus is on the surgical treatment of rectal diseases and hernia surgery. He is a reviewer of several international professional journals and a member of numerous surgical societies (SGC, SGVC, DHG and EHS) and international professional committees. Prof Dr. med. Philipp Kirchhoff was appointed by the medical faculty Basel as a Associate Professor in november 2019.Together with his colleague PD Dr. med. Henry Hoffmann he is the founder of the Swiss Hernia Days. Philipp Kirchhoff speaks fluent German and English.
PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann
Dr. Debora Nowakowski
Debora Nowakowski is a specialist in surgery (FMH) and the youngest member of the ZweiChirurgen medical team.From 2004 to 2010, the native of Grisons studied medicine at the universities of Fribourg and Basel. She then began her surgical residency at the "Universitätskinderspital beider Basel" (UKBB), followed by further years of training at the St. Claraspital Basel and the University Hospital Basel. At the University Hospital Basel, Dr. Nowakowski was also trained for a longer period of time by Prof. Dr. Kirchhoff and PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann.After obtaining the specialist title for surgery (FMH), Dr. Nowakowski worked as a senior physician at various renowned hospitals in Switzerland, including the Cantonal Hospital Olten, the Linth Hospital (Uznach) and most recently at the Cantonal Hospital Baselland. There she was able to further deepen and expand her surgical skills and abilities.In recent years, hernia surgery, general surgery and proctology have become the focus of Dr. Nowakowski's professional and specialist activities. In addition, she regularly participates in national and international congresses to further expand her professional expertise.Dr. Nowakowski is married, the mother of two sons and, after several years of professional training at various clinics in Switzerland, now makes her home with her family in the Basel regionDebora Nowakowski is fluent in German, English, French and Dutch.
Katja Ulrich, MPA
Melanie Steiger, MPA
1. Minimally invasive surgical techniques in ventral hernia repair. Update of the International Endohernia Society (IEHS) Guidelines. Peking, China, 2017. 2. Preoperative adjunct interventions in ventral hernia repair. Update of the International Endohernia Society (IEHS) Guidelines. Peking, China, 2017. 3. Sportsman groin: Role of clinical examination and radiological imaging. Consensus Guideline Conference, German Hernia Society (DHG). Hamburg, 2017
A hernia is a defect in the abdominal wall from which the contents of the abdomen protrude outwards from under the skin. Patients generally see a swelling and have discomfort or pain. Hernias are the most common surgical indication, and around 20,000 hernia operations are performed throughout Switzerland every year. The inguinal hernia is the most common, followed by hernia of the abdominal wall (e.g. umbilical hernias, scar hernias) flowed by rare causes such as flank hernia and diaphragmatic hernias.At our centre for hernia surgery we offer you competent and tailor-made advice and diagnostics. Depending on the clinical picture and the individual requirements of our patients, we perform open (larger skin incision) and minimally invasive surgical techniques (keyhole surgery) in accordance with current scientific findings and guidelines. Our many years of surgical experience enable us to offer you a surgical technique tailored to your needs. We perform our operations at our exclusive partner, Merian-Iselin-Klinik in Basel. This clinic located in the center of Basel is of high renown in north-west Switzerland.
In addition, we have specialized in the treatment of sportsmen's groin, chronic groin pain after hernia operations and rectus diastasis. These diseases are complex and must be treated together with other specialists and therapists. Here we can rely on a network of experienced sports physicians, physiotherapists, radiologists and pain therapists.Our patients are also individually cared for and treated by us after the operation. We remain available for you at all times. Within the framework of our "quality-assured hernia surgery", we also send out follow-up questionnaires after the operation in order to identify new problems early on and treat them professionally.
The seal «Quality assured Hernia Surgery» was awarded to us by the Deutsche Herniengesellschaft
Direct fascial closure in umbilical hernias (<1cm)
1. Normal situation 2. Diastasis recti (Straight abdominal muscles diverged) 3. Condition after surgery
Proctology deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the rectum. Common diseases of the rectum include hemorrhoids and anal fissures. In our center for proctology we offer you competent and comprehensive consultation, diagnostics and the complete therapy spectrum for all diseases of the rectum.Consultations, examinations and minor procedures take place in our practice. For certain examinations (e.g. colon and gastroscopy) we work closely together with gastroenterologists and other specialists. Should an operation be necessary, we perform it at our exclusive clinic partner Merian-Iselin-Clinic in Basel.
In addition to hernia surgery and proctology, we also offer the treatment of various diseases of the abdominal organs. These include diseases of the gallbladder (gallstones - see picture -, gallbladder inflammation, gallbladder colic) as well as diseases of the small and large intestine.
In our practice we treat patients of all insurance classes and health insurance companies.Here you can make an appointment directly with the two surgeons, call us or write an e-mail to our practice.If you are insured in the general practitioner model (HMO), you should have your general practitioner refer you to us.In urgent cases, we will try to give you an appointment on the same day.
We are warmly welcoming our international guests in our practice. We speak German, English, French, Italian and Russian. For your request please contact us via E-Mail.As soon as we have booked your appointment, we are happy help with the organization of your stay in Basel during the diagnostic and treatment including transfers and hotel accomodation.
You can refer your patients to us at any time by telephone, email or fax with the following information: first and last name, date of birth, contact details of the patient, diagnosis and insurance. This will help us to coordinate your appointments smoothly.
St. Johanns-Vorstadt 44CH-4056 Basel Phone +41 61 7119000 Fax +41 61 7119005 Make an appointment E-mail to the office All insurance classes and consultation possible without GP referral (except insurance in the GP model)
1. Philipp Kirchhoff, Tarik Delko, Facharztprüfung Chirurgie (2. Auflage), Gutartige Erkrankungen der Appendix und des Kolons, EMH Scripts2. Philipp Kirchhoff, Urs Zingg, Operatives Risiko, Facharztprüfung Chirurgie (2. Auflage), EMH Scripts3. Savas Soysal, Tarik Delko, Philipp Kirchhoff, Gutartige Erkrankungen der Appendix und des Kolons, Facharztprüfung Chirurgie (3. Auflage), EMH Scripts, (HRSG.: Daniel Oertli, Philipp Kirchhoff)4. P. Kirchhoff und H. Hoffmann. Stoppa-Technik. In: U. Dietz, G. Beldi, R. Fortelny, A. Wiegering (Eds.): Offene Hernienchirurgie, Springer (2018)
5. Hoffmann H. und Kirchhoff P. Primäre Inguinalhernien-Chirurgie. In: Facharztprüfung Chirurgie, 3. Auflage. EMH Scripts (2018).6. Weixler B, Hoffmann H. Darmischämie. In: Facharztwissen Viszeral- und Allgemeinchirurgie, Springer (2017)7. Philipp Kirchhoff, Henry Hoffmann, Operatives Risiko, Facharztprüfung Chirurgie (3. Auflage), EMH Scripts, 2018, (HRSG.: Daniel Oertli, Philipp Kirchhoff)8. Chronische Bauchschmerzen, Kapitel: Intraabdominelle VerwachsungenPhilipp Kirchhoff, Markus von Flüe, Herausgeber: Prof. Buchmann, Prof. Degen
Facharztbuch Facharztprüfung Chirurgie, Dritte Auflage 2018 EMH Scripts, (HRSG.: Daniel Oertli, Philipp Kirchhoff)
The Leading Medicine Guide sees itself as a neutral mediator of competent specialists. More than 250 highly qualified specialists work for you in various specialist fields and are selected according to strict quality criteria. website
Hernia.guide offers you competently researched information about hernias and their treatment. You will also find hernia.guide experts for hernia surgery, who you can contact free of charge. website
The Swiss company Medgate quickly offers comprehensive medical care by telephone or Internet with the aim of improving health care. In doing so, it draws on local partners, doctors and networks in order to provide patients with the best and fastest possible treatment for their complaints. website
The Merian-Iselin-Clinic is one of the leading private surgical clinics in Switzerland. Based on a high-quality patient care and trustful interdisciplinary cooperation between surgeons and anesthetists the Merian-Iselin-Clinic provides one of the best performance profiles in north-west Switzerland.With this clinic ZweiChirurgen have a clinic partner on their side to cope with the highest needs of our patients. website
In order to improve the results and quality of hernia surgery, the non-profit company Herniamed was founded in 2009. It is a network of hernia surgeons.The core of the Herniamed project is an Internet-based quality assurance databank. Here, clinics and established surgeons can enter data regarding their hernia operations free of charge. The data is recorded and according to scientific standards which helps in the analysis and eventual interpretation of results. On the basis of these results, the experts can then work out the best future therapy options for patients. website
The Swiss Hernia Days offer hernia experts an annual platform on the latest developments in hernia surgery. The congress takes place annually in Basel and is chaired by international hernia specialists.The event was initiated in 2017 by Dr. Jan Kukleta (Zurich), PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and PD Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff (Basel). website