Physician assistants carry out the preparatory work for operations, assist the surgeon and effect the wound closure after the surgical intervention. The MediClin Heart Center Lahr/Baden has been the first heart center in Germany to use specifically trained physician assistants.
In cooperation with the Steinbeis-Hochschule Berlin, nurses, specialist nurses for anesthesia/intensive care, operating room technicians and perfusionist who had all worked at the MediClin Heart Center Lahr/Baden gained the academic degree of a Bachelor of Science.
Since November 2008, physican assistants (PA) trained during a three year course of studies have been carrying out individual tasks during an operation thus relieving the operating surgeon from specific tasks.
Physician assistants leading to a higher quality level
The use of physician assistants is beneficial both for patients and the MediClin Heart Center Lahr/Baden. All tasks carried out by the physician assistants in the operating theater are routine tasks carried out at the highest possible quality level. Innovative techniques can be incorporated more rapidly as part of clinical routine since they are carried out only by a limited number of personnel.
PD Dr. Jürgen Ennker, Medical Director and Surgeon-in-Chief at the Hopsital for Heart, Thoracic and Vascular Surgery can only underline this positive experience: “Whereas interns are familiarized with certain activities only as a “way station” during further training to subsequently leave it for other activities, physician assistants achieve a high process routine. This has a positive effect on quality as a whole.”