Helsinki University Hospital

The hospital constantly introduces new methods of treatment that have been tested in clinical studies. Every year, 20 million laboratory tests are conducted at the University Hospital of Helsinki. There is also a biobank, the purpose of which is the study of genetic predispositions, environmental factors and lifestyle for the causes of diseases. Specialists are studying disease prevention, developing more effective and safe methods of diagnosis and treatment. It covers 1,9 million inhabitants. In 2015, the biobank received a license to operate from Valvira – the State Control and Supervision Service for Social Security and Health.

This clinic is the first in Scandinavia to receive such a high status. Since the clinic operates on the basis of the university, doctors are engaged in research activities.

Scientific Research at Helsinki University Hospital

Specialists at the Helsinki University Hospital closely cooperate with Academic Medical Center Helsinki. This involved about 80 professors and lecutrers who produce more than 2,000 academic publications yearly. The discoveries found by the scholars are immediately implemented in the patients’ care. Two biggest areas of research today are pediatric care and oncology. As a result, they provide the top quality research, teaching and medical care.

Patients at the Helsinki Hospital have an opportunity of participating in development of novel treatment methods. This is especially valualbe for people who are unresponsive to traditional treatments.

Oncology at Helsinki University Hospital

Chemotherapy drug treatment of cancerous diseases at the University Hospital Helsinki is carried out by three types of drugs. The first ones are cytotoxins, these prevent the division of cancer cells, as a result of which the cancer cells die. Doctors injected drugs intravenously and orally, perhaps the introduction directly into the tumor, depending on the severity of the disease and localization. The second type – hormone therapy, is used for tumors whose growth is stimulated by the body’s hormones. The third is selective drug therapy, it affects a certain substance in a cancer cell and does not affect healthy ones.

Helsinki University Hospital Neurosurgery Department

The neurosurgical department is Europe’s leading in microsurgical treatment of blood vessels and complex brain tumors. Experts perform 3,200 operations per year. Doctors treat aneurysms and deformities of cerebral vessels, brain and spinal cord tumors, spinal cord canal, perform neurosurgical treatment of epilepsy.

Juha Hernesniemi, a reknown Finnish neurosurgeon,operates within the facility. He treats:

Doctors carry out an operation for the correction of arteriovenous malformation (AVM) – a plexus of the dilated vessels of the brain, the duration of this is several hours. The recovery period depends on the severity of the disease, age and general health status of the patient, lasts on average from one to two months.

To reduce the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, treat dystonia of the cervical vertebrae and severe paralysis, doctors conduct a deep brain stimulation – electrically affect certain areas of the brain, reducing or eliminating symptoms. Duration of the operation is from 5 to 7 hours. After that, the patient stays in the hospital for about 5-7 days. The recovery period is different, on average it takes from two to several weeks.

Pediatric Care at Helsinki University Hospital

Helsinki University Hospital invests a lot of resources in providing the best medical care for child and adolescent patients. Professionals are able of taking care of newborns weighting less than 500 grams. Patients at pediatric departments are treated for infectious diseases, heart and blood diseases, allergies, diabetes, asthma, and organ transplantations. The survival rate after organ transplantation reaches up to 90%.

8 out of every 10 children undergoing cancer treatment in Finland fully recover. The surgeons perform over 500 different procedures. Hernia surgeries and endoscopic procedures are performed on a daily basis.

The doctors follow a wholistic approach and understand the importance of family in the fist years of development, which is why relatives are closely ingaged in the process of treatment and recovery.

Besides general Pediatric department, Helsinki Hospital also has:

Cost of treatment at Helsinki University Hospital