ESO Department to Department Visit Programme Report – Natalia Andrzejewska

Host Institution: Stroke Center, Inselspital,  Bern, Switzerland
Home Institution: Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Disorders, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland

Thanks to the support of European Stroke Organisation I was able to visit Stroke Centre in Inselspital, Bern – place with great tradition in participating in major stroke trials as well as students and physicians training.

During my stay I had opportunity to investigate every step of acute and subacute stroke management. Starting with patients arrival to emergency department I could observe work organisation and procedures fulfilled before recanalisation and life decision making for thrombolysis and thrombectomy.

I was impressed by Neuroradiology Department with available 24/7 MRI suite using advanced seqences on every-day basis. Thanks to Professor Jan Gralla and his team I could observe thrombectomy procedures which were explained in details by operators.

Further step of patients care was diagnosis and early rehabilitation in Stroke Unit which I had privilidge to visit for several weeks. During every – day morning rounds each patients clinical problems and management were discussed in details. I found observing current evidence based individualised approach to every patient of great value for my further practice. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Simon Jung for sharing his professional opinions and enthusiasm in discussing complex clinical problems, starting with basic science through trial evidence to conclude in its application to every day practice. Also possibility to study the range of internal Stroke Unit guidelines covering most of everyday clinical problems was very valuable.

Following the patients diagnostics path I could observe work in Neurosonolab where I found structural as well as functional ultrasound imaging very interesting. Also patients follow-up in Outpatient Stroke Clinic was very didactic.

Likewise clinical practice, the doctors’ training made a great impression on me: daily morning  mini-lectures, weekly meeting with neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons, as well as current studies reports.

I want to thank Dr. Mirjam Heldner for her constant help with every clinical problems, organizational challenges and her kindness for showing me every corner of Inselspital  and beauty of Bern. I would like to express my gratidue to Professor Urs Fischer and Professor Marcel Arnold for accepting me at the Stroke Center. Finally I am grateful for the suport of the ESO which gave me this wonderful opportunity.

Sincerely,

Natalia Andrzejewska, MD