Acute Care Surgery: The European Model

Abstract

Background

This study was designed to determine whether there is in fact a European model of acute care surgery and to describe the different care systems in the individual European countries.

Methods

Questionnaires were sent to experts on emergency surgery in 27 European countries. The assessment of attitudes toward the emerging discipline of acute care surgery was the main outcome measure.

Results

Replies were received from at least one respondent from each of 18 countries. They indicated a high awareness of the new field of acute care surgery, although this has not yet become a recognized (sub-)specialty in any of the countries polled. In addition, several interesting new trends were identified: for example, different approaches depending on individual political influences.

Conclusions

There is no European consensus on acute care surgery. In some central European countries, specialists qualify in general and orthopedic trauma surgery; these allrounders also perform life-saving thoracic and neurosurgical procedures, such as emergency thoracotomies and craniotomies. The European model is not a uniform system for acute surgical care.

Contributors

• Selman Uranüs

• Department of Surgery, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036 Graz, Austria

• Zelimir Korac

• General Hospital Karlovac, Kurelceva 1c, 47000 Karlovac, Croatia

• Zoran Rajkovic

• General Hospital Zabok, Benesiceva 7, 1000 Zagreb, Croatia

• Jiri Hoch

• Dept. Surg., Univ. Hosp. Motol, 150 06 Praha 5–Motol, V Úvalu 84, Czech Republic

• Ari Leppäniemi

• Meilahte Hospital, PO Box 340, 00029 HUS, Finland

• Eric J. Voiglio

• Service de chirurgie d’urgence, CHU Lyon Sud, F69495 Pierre Benite cedex, France

• Martin H. Hessmann

• Dept. of Trauma Surgery, Langenbeckstr. 1D, 55131 Mainz, Germany

• P. M. Rommens

• Dept. of Trauma Surgery, Langenbeckstr. 1, 55131 Mainz, Germany

• Hartmut Siebert

• Trauma Dept., Diakonie Klinikum, Heilbronnerstraße, 74523 Schwaeb Hall, Germany

• Bertil Bouillon

• Cologne Merheim Medical Center, Dept. of Trauma and Emergency Surgery, Osterheimerstr. 200, 51109 Köln, Germany

• Spiros Stergiopoulos

• Athens University, 57 Souidias Street, Athens, Greece

• Mauro Zago

• Istituto Clinico Humanitas, via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano (Milan), Italy

• Orlando Goletti

• Health Unit 5 Pisa Pontedera Hospital, General Surgery Unit, via Roma 180, Pontedera, Italy

• Georges Decker

• CH Luxembourg, 4 rue E Barblé, 1210 Luxembourg

• Heinrich Janzing

• Viecuri, Tegelsweg 210, 5912 TL Venlo, The Netherlands

• Peter Patka

• Dept. of Trauma & Emergency Surgery, Erasmus Univ. Med. Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands

• Arnfinn Johs. Henjum

• Volda Sjukehus, Röyslidvegen 20, 6100 Volda, Norway

• Jose M. Schiappa

• Hosp.CUF Infante Santo, Lisbon, Portugal

• Mircea Beuran

• Emergency Clinical Hospital Bucharest, Calea Floreasca Nr. 8, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania

• Radko Komadina

• General & Teaching Hosp. Celje, Oblakova 5, 3000 Celje, Slovenia

• Vladimir Smrkolj

• Medical Faculty of Ljubljana, Zaloska c7, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

• Fernando Turégano

• c/ Dr. Esquerdo, 46., 28007 Madrid, Spain

• Else Ribbe

• Dept. of Surgery, CSK, 29185 Kristianstad, Sweden

• Reto Babst

• Surgical Clinic Trauma Unit, Kantonsspital Luzern, Switzerland

• Dominik Heim

• Hospital of Frutigen, Adelbodenstr., 3714 Frutigen, Switzerland

• Mehmet Kurtoglu

• Istanbul Medical Faculty, Emergency and Trauma Surgery, 34390 Capa-Istanbul, Turkey

• Korhan Taviloglu

• Istanbul Medical Faculty, Emergency and Trauma Surgery, 34390 Capa-Istanbul, Turkey