Neurosurgical Department

Established by Presidential Decree 459/1987 (Government Gazette 215/8-12-1987).

Ministerial Installation Decision: Υ4α /29261/03 (Government Gazette 750/11-6-2003).

Internal Rules of Procedure: Presidential Decree 141/1999, Government Gazette 145/12-7-1999.

Amendment of the Internal Rules of Procedure: Rector’s Decision no. DUTH/DDK/TDA/42428/4716/939/18-3-2022 (Government Gazette 2488/B/20-5-2022).

Laboratory/Clinic
University Neurosurgery Clinic

Department of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace

Introduction
The University Neurosurgery Clinic of DUTH is housed and operates by virtue of the Joint Ministerial Decision (Ministry of National Education & Religious Affairs – Ministry of Health and Welfare) under protocol no. Υ4α/29261/03/5-6-2003 ref. 21939/03, at the 11th Nursing Unit of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA). It serves clinical (surgical/medical-nursing), educational, and research needs in the scientific fields of Neurosurgery, primarily in the regions of Thrace, Eastern Macedonia, and the Northern Aegean.

History

More information regarding the history of the Clinic is provided at the following link:
http://neurosurgerythrace.blogspot.com

Staff

Faculty Members:

- Theodossios Birbilis, Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of the Clinic
- Ioannis Mavridis, Associate Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery
- Ioannis Siasios, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery

NHS Physicians (ESY)

Kosmas Kontogiannidis, Neurosurgeon, NHS Director
Georgios Antoniou, Neurosurgeon, Consultant (NHS Registrar)

Other Staff

The clinical and research work of the Clinic is supported by General Surgery Residents of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA) and medical students of DUTH, who simultaneously have the opportunity to observe and participate in neurosurgical procedures, as well as to cultivate their scientific interests.

Nursing care for patients is provided by the nursing staff of the University Surgery Clinic of PGNA.

The Nurse in Charge of the Clinic’s Regular Outpatient Department is Mr. Konstantinos Stavrakoglou.

Contact Details

University Neurosurgery Clinic, Department of Medicine,
School of Health Sciences, Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH),
University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA),
6th km Alexandroupolis-Makris (Dragana), 68100 Alexandroupoli, Greece

Tel: +30 25513 52229, +30 25513 52225
E-mail: birbilis@med.duth.gr, imavridi@med.duth.gr

Services

Health

Surgical and conservative treatment and hospitalization of patients with neurosurgical conditions.
Collaboration with the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA).
Collaboration with other Clinics and Laboratories of PGNA.
Collaboration with the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology for the management of vascular diseases of the central nervous system.
Regular Outpatient Clinics (Neurosurgical, Pediatric Neurosurgical, Vascular Malformations).
Participation in the operation of the All-Day Hospital (afternoon neurosurgery clinics).

Education

- Theoretical teaching and clinical training at the undergraduate level.
- Theoretical teaching and clinical training at the postgraduate level.
- Participation in the Inter-University Neuroimaging Discussion of the DUTH University Neurology Clinic.
- Case discussions.
- Series of lectures for residents and medical students.

Research

Clinical research.
Laboratory research.
Collaboration with other Clinics and Laboratories of DUTH.

Health

Patient care and hospitalization include:

A) The diagnostic process (clinical examination, paraclinical investigation).

B) The treatment of neurosurgical conditions using microsurgical methods. The intraoperative equipment used includes surgical microscopes, neuronavigator, neuromonitoring methods, intraoperative ultrasound, micro-Doppler, stereotactic methods, ultrasonic aspirator, C-arm, endoscopic methods, etc.

C) Intensive monitoring and support of critically ill neurosurgical patients, in collaboration with the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA).

D) Management of vascular diseases, in collaboration with the Department of Interventional Neuroradiology of PGNA.

The conditions treated using the aforementioned diagnostic and surgical methods affect all age groups and include:

Tumors of the nervous system and its coverings (primary and secondary/metastatic)
Vascular diseases of the central nervous system and its coverings
Injuries of the central nervous system and its coverings
Degenerative spinal diseases, such as degenerative disc disease
Hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorders
Inflammatory diseases (infectious and non-infectious) of the central nervous system and its coverings
Congenital anomalies of the central and peripheral nervous system and their coverings
Compressive lesion syndromes affecting directly or indirectly the central and peripheral nervous system, originating from the surrounding musculoskeletal system
Epilepsy, pain syndromes, and movement disorders

The University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis (PGNA) is one of the few centers in our country where patients with vascular diseases of the central nervous system can be treated using both Microsurgical and Interventional Neuroradiology methods.
PGNA operates one of the very few Specialized Pediatric Neurosurgery Outpatient Clinics in the country.

More information regarding our Pediatric Neurosurgery Services is provided at the following link:
https://pgna.gr/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/panep-nevrox-popup.pdf

Education

Undergraduate

Courses of the Neurosurgery Clinic

- Neurosurgery, Elective Course, Semesters: 10th, 12th (Course Coordinator: T. Birbilis)

Participation in courses of other Clinics/Laboratories

- Neurology, Elective Clinical Training, Semesters: 11th, 12th
- Neurology, Compulsory Course, Semester: 7th
- Anatomy II, Compulsory Course, Semester: 4th

Postgraduate

Supervision of 3 Doctoral Dissertations (PhD)
Participation in the MSc “Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Stroke” of the University Neurology Clinic, Department of Medicine, DUTH.

Other Educational Activities

- Weekly Neurosurgical Case Discussion
- Participation in the weekly Inter-University Neuroimaging Discussion of the DUTH University Neurology Clinic
- Monthly lectures on Emergency Neurosurgery for residents and medical students
- Monthly lectures on Neurosurgical Anatomy for residents and medical students

Research:

Research Fields

Vascular Neurosurgery
Neuro-oncology
Pediatric Neurosurgery
Neurotraumatology
Spine Surgery
Neurosurgical Anatomy
Stereotaxis

Programs & Studies

Neurosurgical anatomy of the tuber cinereum region
Microsurgical anatomy of the frontal operculum vessels
Microsurgical anatomy of the glossopharyngeal nerve origin
Improvement, design, and development of Stereotactic Neurosurgery systems and corresponding computer-aided functional support software
Electrocardiographic alterations during subarachnoid hemorrhage
Study of skull base and midline tumors
Study of the interaction of biologically active molecules with membranes using spectroscopic methods (NMR spectroscopy, DSC calorimetry, and ESR spectroscopy)
Experimental study of Holmium: YAG-Laser in Neurosurgery
Our Clinic collaborates with other Clinics and Laboratories of DUTH in clinical and laboratory research.
Results of our Clinic’s research activity are published in international peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at international and Greek conferences.

Useful Links

Neurosurgical Department

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