Kantonsspital of St. Gallen

St. Gallen, Switzerland

The Kantonsspital St. Gallen is the sixth largest hospital in Switzerland. With approximately 800 beds and 3000 employees, it serves the people of the city and canton of St. Gallen. The hospital cooperates closely with other hospitals in the region, and covers the medical care of many people in the eastern part of Switzerland as well as the neighboring adjacent countries of Germany and Austria. The Hospital is a level I trauma center with a university standard and affiliation with several universities and other academic institutions.

The Department of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery treats patients with a variety of conditions:

• Hand injuries—all acute injuries, including replantation surgery, as well secondary reconstruction for the improvement of function of the upper extremities
• Bone and joint lesions—treatment of all kinds of fractures, as well as the correction of malalignments and deformities
• Degenerative diseases—inflammatory or degenerative joint affections
• Nerve injuries—acute as well as secondary reconstruction of injuries of the peripheral nerves and their compression syndromes, especially lesions of the brachial plexus
• Tumors of the upper limbs, and reconstruction after tumor ablation by microsurgical procedures
• Congenital malformation of the upper limbs
• Plastic surgery—treatment of any congenital, acquired or age-related alteration of the face, mamma or total body surface; tumor reconstruction; aesthetic surgery; treatment of burns

The department is a level I trauma unit in close cooperation with all relevant medical departments. It provides a 24-hour service covering all aspects of upper limb trauma.

For short-term residential visitors the department can offer clinical training in various aspects of osteosynthesis of the distal radius and hand, including joint replacements and corrective procedures for the skeleton of the upper limbs.

For candidates interested in a longer period of training, a previous qualification is needed. In this case, participation in one of the ongoing research projects running in close cooperation with various academic institutions is possible.

Foreign candidates may need official work permits. The department will provide assistance in addressing the related questions and administrative requirements.