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Digestive surgery
Our role
Digestive surgery concerns the surgical treatment of pathologies of the digestive tract, pancreas, spleen, liver, bladder and bile ducts, peritoneum and adrenal glands. Spanning the Erasmus Hospital and the Jules Bordet Institute, our Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B) interhospital department treats cancers as well as other non-cancerous pathologies affecting these organs. The minimally invasive laparoscopic or robot-assisted surgery is used as a priority depending on the surgical indications.
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Our specialities
The Interhospital Department of Digestive Surgery consists of 4 major units within which specialist surgeons operate:
- The Hepato-Pancreatico-Biliary Surgery, Liver Transplant and Adrenal Clinic is concerned with surgery of the liver (liver cancers of the hepatocarcinoma or cholangiocarcinoma type, hepatic metastases, benign liver tumours), the pancreas (pancreatic cancers, duodenal cancers, neuroendocrine tumours, cystic lesions, chronic pancreatitis) and bile ducts as well as liver transplants and adrenal pathologies.
- The Oesogastric, Bariatric and Abdominal Wall Clinic covers cancerous (oesophageal and stomach cancer) or functional pathologies (hiatal hernia and gastroesophagial reflux) of the upper digestive tract, obesity surgery (sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass,etc.) and abdominal wall surgery (hernia, eventration).
- The Colorectal, Peritoneal and Proctology Clinic carries out surgery for cancerous (colorectal cancer) or benign (Crohn’s disease, ulcero hemorrhagic rectoilitis) pathologies of the colon, rectum, peritoneum (peritoneal carcinomatosis) and anus (prolapsus, haemorrhoids, anal fistula, incontinence).
- The Kidney Transplant and Organ Donation Functional Unit is responsible for kidney transplants and organ donations in cooperation with the transplant coordination team.
Our team
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Our specialists
Colorectal Surgery Clinic
- Pr. Gabriele LIBERALE
- Dr. Najla BACHIR
- Dr. Fikri BOUAZZA
- Dr. Joost MAURISSEN
Consultants
- Dr. Nicolas CLAEYS
- Dr. Florence HUT
Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Surgery Clinic
- Pr. Ali BOHLOK
- Pr. Vincent DONCKIER
- Pr. Patrizia LOI
- Dr. Desislava GERMANOVA
- Dr. Valerio LUCIDI
- Dr. Julie NAVEZ
Consultants
- Dr. Jean CLOSSET
Functional Unit for Kidney Transplantation
- Dr. Thomas CAES
- Dr. Nikolaos KOLIAKOS
- Dr. Dimitri MIKHALSKI
Oesogastric, Bariatric and Abdominal Wall Surgery Clinic
- Dr. Maarten VANDER KUYLEN
Consultants
- Pr. Issam EL NAKADI
- Pr. Patrizia LOI
- Dr. Jean CLOSSET
- Dr. Meriem ENNAJI
- Dr. Abdel Ilah MEHDI
Pediatric Surgery Clinic
- Dr. Pierre LINGIER
Focus
Since July 2019 the site of the H.U.B’s Erasmus Hospital has been a reference centre approved by the INAMI/RIZIV [National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance] for surgery of the pancreas and oesophagus. This is in keeping with the Ministry of Health’s project to centralise complex surgery at experienced high volume hospitals with a large multidisciplinary technical platform so as to improve the quality of care for these pathologies.
Liver transplantation is also an area in which our department excels, for the treatment of serious liver disease (acute and chronic) as well as primary liver cancer, offering excellent results in the long term. In 2023 our team carried out its 1,000th liver transplant.
The Department of Digestive Surgery has developed expertise in the treatment of peritoneal metastases. The surgery can be coupled with Intraperitoneal Hyperthermic Chemotherapy (IPHC). This technique involves administering a “bath” of anticancer drugs with the aim of destroying residual cancer cells after surgical resection of the metastases.
Research
Operating within a university hospital, the development of medical knowledge through scientific research is seen as an essential role of our interhospital department. As such, we take part in a number of clinical trials and you may be asked whether you wish to participate and thereby have the opportunity to receive an innovative treatment.
The Department of Digestive Surgery works with the ULB’s Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology on translational research, especially on pancreatic cancer and liver diseases and cancers. This enables us to better understand the mechanisms of these pathologies and improve their treatment.
Publications
Publications
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Tumor biology reflected by histological growth pattern is more important than surgical margin for the prognosis of patients undergoing resection of colorectal liver metastases.
Bohlok A, Inchiostro L, Lucidi V, Vankerckhove S, Hendlisz A, Van Laethem JL, Craciun L, Demetter P, Larsimont D, Dirix L, Vermeulen P, Donckier V. Eur J SurgOncol 2023.
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Long-Term Outcomes 10 Years after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Single Center Retrospective Analysis.
Vital R, Navez J, Gunes S, Tonneau C, Mehdi A, Moussaoui IE, Closset J. ObesSurg 2023.
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Neoadjuvant chemotherapy associated with isotoxic high-dose stereotactic body radiotherapy does not increase postoperative complications after pancreaticoduodenectomy for nonmetastatic pancreatic cancer.
Navez J, Bouchart C, Mans L, Devos S, Loi P, Closset J, Van Laethem JL. J Surg Oncol 2023
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Esophageal cancer: Outcome and potential benefit of esophagectomy in elderly patients.
Laurent A, Marechal R, Farinella E, Bouazza F, Charaf Y, Gay F, Van Laethem JL, Gonsette K, El Nakadi I. 2022