Ravensburg - Head Physician Christian Tilz organised a symposium to mark the launch of the new Neurology and Epileptology Clinic, which was recently formed from two independent departments at the Weißenau NDT site. The speakers provided fascinating insights into the history of medicine and new treatment options. Finally, Tilz rounded off the programme with an insight into the future design of the clinic.
In the middle of the year, Christian Tilz succeeded Hartmut Baier and Andreas Meyer, who had previously headed the separately organised departments of neurology and epileptology at ZfP Südwürttemberg. Both departments were merged into a single clinic. The new head physician took this as an opportunity to invite numerous speakers from Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland to Ravensburg.
In his welcoming address, NDT Regional Director Juan Valdés-Stauber explained the background to the newly formed clinic: „A merger like this naturally raises many questions and also creates uncertainties, but we were able to overcome these together and without any major difficulties.“ The idea of multi-professionalism cultivated in the clinic certainly also contributed to the success: „Many hands contribute to success.“
The former head physician Baier looked back on the history of epileptology in particular. He explained that it was only towards the end of the 18th century that the so-called „lunatics“ were regarded as patients requiring medical treatment. This period also saw the founding of the Weißenau nursing home in 1892, which then became a sanatorium and nursing home in 1903. In 1905, the first special ward with 25 beds for epilepsy patients was opened in Weißenau. He went on to describe the long road to the independence of epileptology and the founding of the Lake Constance Epilepsy Centre. The latter was finally achieved „after 13 years of tough struggle“ in 2000.
At the end, host Tilz focussed on the future developments of the new Weissenau Clinic for Neurology and Epileptology. The aim is to intensify networks regionally, nationally and internationally in order to establish modern medicine with a focus on epileptology, Parkinson's disease and pain treatment, as well as to expand the clinic's scientific training programme.