Practice in Basel
Waiting room in Basel
Practice room in Basel
Practice in Liestal
Waiting room in Liestal
Practice room in Liestal
Staircase in Zurich
Waiting area in Zurich
Consulting room in Zurich
Practice room in Zurich
We welcome you to the practice ZWEICHIRURGEN at our two locations directly on the Rhine in the heart of Basel and in the old town of Liestal. ZWEICHIRURGEN was founded in October 2018 by the two surgeons Prof. Philipp Kirchhoff and PD 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. Dr. Debora Nowakowski Prof. Dr. med. Philipp Kirchhoff PD Dr. med. Henry Hoffmann
ZweiChirurgen at the European Hernie Society (EHS) Meeting in Manchester (UK)PD Dr. Henry Hoffmann and Dr. Debora Nowakowski participated together with experts from Europe and the rest of the world at the annual meeting of the European Hernia Society (EHS) in Manchester (UK). More than 1000 participants were updated in the lates developments and innovations in die field of hernia surgery. PD Dr. Hoffmann and Dr. Nowakowski had talks and moderations of sessions.EHS Manchester 2022
ZweiChirurgen with article about groin painGroin pain is a very frequent problem and needs a meticulous and focused clinical examination. More than 15 causes are described in the literature such as pathologies from muscles, bones or genital organs. A groin hernia only rarely causes pain. Instead, the most frequent complication of groin hernia surgery is chronic groin pain affecting more than 1500 patients per year in Switzerland. In such cases, a deep knowledge of the causes and the therapy strategies is required to help these suffering patients. Read the article which was recently published in Switzerlands surgical journal «Swiss Knife».Read the article (german)
ZweiChirurgen at Swiss Surgical CongressZweiChirurgen were active speakers and chairs in the session of the Swiss Hernia Society (SAHC) during the annual congress of the SSwiss Surgical Society (SGC) in Berne. News and trends in hernia surgery in Switzerland and Europe were discussed.Website
ZweiChirurgen lecture at Dreiländertreffen in WienAt the joint congress of minimally invasive surgeons from Austria, Germany and Switzerland, Prof. Dr. Philipp Kirchhoff gave a critical overview of the new extraperitoneal treatments for abdominal wall hernias and moderated the lively discussion.Website
ZweiChirurgen at the 7th Salzburger Hernia DaysTogether with experts from Europe and USA PD Dr. Hoffmann was invited as a session moderator and speaker to the 5th Salzburg Hernia Days to discuss current topics and innovations in hernia surgery. PD Dr. Hoffmanns talk was about alternatives to robotic surgery in hernia repair.Website
ZweiChirurgen at International Hernia CongressTogether with other hernia experts from Europa, Asia and Africa PD Dr. med. Henry Hoffmann was invited speaker at the IHS congress in Athens, Greece. PD Dr. Hoffmann spoke about the surgical treatment strategies to repair diastasis rectify, which is a very frequent abdominal wall disease following pregnancies. More then 300 participants on-site and almost 1000 online participants followed this event.Website
ZweiChirurgen Annual Report 2021Our Annual Report 2021 is available for download (german).
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 building. 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
Katja Ulrich, MPA
Melanie Steiger, MPA
Rossella Loreto, 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. For minimally invasive operations, in many cases we also use a latest-generation surgical robot (Intuitive da Vinci Xi) which uses a 3D image to allow us to use the instruments even more precisely and gently.
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.
At our practice locations in Basel, Zurich and Liestal, we hold our consultation hours by individual appointment between 8-12 am and 2-6 pm. In a trusting and private atmosphere, we will take time to discuss your problems, ask you about your symptoms in detail, examine you professionally and draw up a diagnosis and therapy plan together with you. In addition, you will receive an information brochure with easy-to-understand text and illustrations about your diseases and treatment options.We also carry out the controls after a possibly necessary operation in our consultation hours. You will receive individual and competent advice from our specialists, and one doctor will remain responsible for you until you have recovered. If you would like to see a particular doctor, please let us know without hesitation.
We perform minor surgeries at our practice locations under local anesthesia. This includes, for example, minor operations on the anus and the surface of the body. After a preliminary discussion of the necessary procedure, we will plan the surgery date together with you. Please arrive at the practice on time for your appointment and allow about 1h of time. You should not schedule any other appointments on the day of the surgery so that you can recover in peace. No special preparations are necessary. You are welcome to eat and drink something before the operation. It is not necessary to shave the surgical site. For anus surgery, please do not perform an enema beforehand. After the operation, we will calmly discuss the further procedure with you. You will receive all the necessary documents from us (control appointments, certificates, prescriptions and behavioral instructions). We will be happy to offer you drinks and a small snack afterwards, if desired. In case of emergencies after the operation (e.g. post-operative bleeding), we are available for you by telephone around the clock.
The majority of our operations involve a hospital stay. We perform our operations exclusively at the Merian-Iselin Clinic in Basel. In rare cases, we also perform our operations at the Dornach Hospital.The Merian-Iselin Clinic is located in the center of Basel, is easily accessible by public transport and has 120 beds and nine operating rooms. The Merian-Iselin Clinic meets our high-quality standards with a perfect infrastructure, patient-oriented and friendly staff, the latest technical equipment in the operating room (e.g. surgical robots) and excellent hotel facilities. The clinic staff and our team always strive to make your hospital stay as pleasant as possible.After registering for surgery in our consultation hours, you will receive written confirmation of your appointment from the Merian-Iselin Clinic within a few days, including your appointment in the anesthesia consultation hours. There, all questions concerning the anesthesia will be discussed with you. On the day before the operation, you will be informed by telephone about the exact time of your admission to the hospital. As a rule, you will arrive about 1-2 hours before the start of the operation. As a rule, you will be admitted to the hospital on the day of the operation. In some exceptional cases it is also possible to arrive the day before the operation (private patients, long journey, etc.). You should not have eaten or drunk anything for at least six hours before the operation. You are allowed to drink clear liquids (water, tea without milk) up to two hours before the operation. At the hospital you will be met at the reception and then escorted to the entry station where you will be prepared for the surgery.
At ZweiChirurgen, work in the operating room is always performed according to the so-called «Cockpit Principle». Based on the work processes and safety measures of pilots in an airplane cockpit, our operations are always performed in pairs and according to a standardized procedure. The individual surgical steps are compared and checked according to the 4-eyes principle.
AAccording to the guidelines of the Federal Office of Public Health, some operations are performed on an outpatient basis (i.e. without an overnight stay in the hospital), provided that there are no exceptional criteria. These include, for example, unilateral inguinal hernia or hemorrhoids. The preparations for the operation are identical to those for an inpatient stay.After the operation you will be transferred to the day hospital where you can recover from the anesthesia. We will visit you at the day hospital before you are discharged. Once you have recovered from the surgery, pain is under control and circulatory parameters (pulse, blood pressure, etc.) are okay, you can be discharged home. All the necessary documents are included in our patient folder, which we will give you after the surgery. After your discharge from the hospital, you will usually have 1-2 more consultations in our consultation hours. We recommend that you have a relative pick you up. You should also not be alone at home for the first 24 hours. We are available for you by telephone after the operation.In rare cases, you may have to stay in the hospital for a night, contrary to what was planned. Sometimes the operation was more complex than expected, or there is still pain, nausea, circulatory weakness, or indisposition. This overnight stay in the hospital is then primarily for your safety and the patient's comfort.
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.
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)
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 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
For operations on the abdominal wall, we work exclusively with Rik Osinga, MD, if required. He is extremely experienced in reconstruction and plastic surgery of the abdominal wall. Here, the treatment and, if necessary, surgery always takes place together in the cockpit procedure. 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