EN
Vascular diagnoses sound alarming: an aortic aneurysm, a narrowed carotid artery, a wound on the foot that will not heal. What they have in common is that there is almost always a choice between an open operation and a procedure through a small puncture — and that choice should be made by a doctor equally at home with both. Professor Reza Ghotbi is a vascular surgeon of exactly that kind.
Who he is and where he practises
Prof. (TUMS) Dr med. Reza Ghotbi is chief physician of the vascular surgery department at Helios Klinikum München West, a post he has held since 2005. Since 2019 he has also been the hospital’s medical director. In addition he heads vascular surgery at the Helios Amper-Klinikum in Dachau and at Helios Klinikum München Perlach, and since 2017 he has led the Aortenzentrum Süd aortic centre.
He studied medicine at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He is qualified in general, visceral and vascular surgery and is a certified endovascular specialist of the German Society for Vascular Surgery (DGG). His honorary professorship was awarded by Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS); the Bavarian Medical Association recognised it as equivalent, which is why in Germany he uses the title “Prof. (TUMS)”.
What he does specifically
His main fields are carotid artery surgery to prevent stroke, treatment of aortic aneurysms, restoring blood flow when the leg arteries are blocked, bypass surgery and varicose vein surgery. A field of its own is non-healing wounds and the diabetic foot: the hospital holds an ICW wound centre certificate, and the vascular department is accredited as a DGG vascular centre.
Professor Ghotbi has consistently developed gentle endovascular techniques. For an aortic aneurysm that means placing a stent graft through a puncture in the groin instead of a large abdominal incision; for narrowed leg arteries, widening the vessel from inside with a balloon, a stent or a laser catheter. Such procedures are usually easier to tolerate and need less recovery time, but they are not right for everyone: the decision is made on the results of vascular ultrasound and CT angiography.
What he is known for in the profession
He belongs to the German Society for Vascular Surgery, the German Surgical Society and the German Society for Ultrasound in Medicine, takes part in training vascular surgeons in Bavaria and teaches at Munich’s universities. The idea he argues for publicly is centre-based surgery: complex vascular procedures should be done where such cases come in steadily, not one at a time.
How we arrange an appointment
We translate your records into German — ultrasound reports, CT or MR angiography — and send them to the hospital before you travel, so the doctor can judge in advance whether further tests are needed. Then comes agreeing the date, an interpreter at the appointment and on the day of the operation, and help with the visa and accommodation. The hospital invoices you directly.
This material is for information only and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. Seeing a particular specialist in person depends on their schedule and the hospital’s workload. Whether treatment is possible, what it will involve and what it will achieve can be determined only after an examination in person.