As of: March 2, 2024, 8:00 a.m
By: Andreas Beez
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After years of suffering, a young Munich man has gained a new quality of life.
The key to success was therapy in an intestinal center.
A stomach ache for a few days, having to go to the toilet more often - everyone has experienced that.
No big deal.
But if the intestines cause problems over the long term, everyday life becomes a real challenge.
Just like for Moritz Schönherr.
The 36-year-old florist from Munich has suffered from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, since childhood.
Everyday life becomes a nightmare: the patient tells his story of suffering
His ordeal began in 1999 with blood in his stool, pain and diarrhea.
This was followed by stays in several hospitals in Munich, in the end without any resounding success.
Instead, a lot of frustrating experiences accumulated into adulthood.
“I didn't even feel like meeting friends anymore and couldn't do anything anymore.
Whenever I went somewhere, my first thought was: Where is the nearest toilet?”
Complex case: Prof. Franz G. Bader explains the positive therapy results to Moritz Schönherr (right).
© Oliver Bodmer
That’s how treacherous the autoimmune disease Crohn’s disease is
The tricky thing about Schönherr's disease: Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease that is still not curable, but is always chronic and often occurs in episodes.
“It can affect the entire digestive tract from the mouth to the anus.
Ulcers, intestinal narrowings or connecting passages to other organs often develop, which are technically called fistulas,” explains Professor Franz Bader, director of surgery at the Munich Isar Clinic.
The house on Sonnenstrasse has a center for chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Doctors from various disciplines work hand in hand there - including gastroenterologists, radiologists and surgeons as well as nutrition specialists.
This group of experts discusses each individual case in a so-called CED board, which meets once a week.
It works on the principle of tumor boards, which have proven themselves in the treatment of cancer.
The idea behind it: determine the best therapy plan together.
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New antibody drugs help with chronic inflammatory bowel disease
In Moritz Schönherr's case, too, the doctors pooled their state-of-the-art know-how.
The 36-year-old is now taking modern antibody medications that are supposed to reduce the inflammation.
“They have been available for several years and are more effective and better tolerated than the previous therapy, which was primarily based on cortisone and caused more severe side effects,” reports the IBD team led by gastroenterologists Professor Thomas Ochsenkühn and private lecturer Dr.
Holger Seidl.
Your patient receives an infusion every six to eight weeks and gives himself a thin syringe in the abdomen every two weeks, similar to a heparin injection.
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Specialist Dr.
Maximilian Sohn: If you have Crohn's disease, remove as little intestine as possible
In a further treatment step, Schönherr went under the knife.
The aim of the procedure was to remove tissue that had already been destroyed by inflammation.
“Especially for patients with Crohn’s disease, it is important to remove as little intestine as possible and to carefully sew the healthy ends together,” explains private lecturer Dr.
Maximilian Sohn, head of IBD surgery at the Isar Clinic.
Specialist for intestinal operations: PD Dr.
Maximilian son.
© Isar Clinic
Clinic Director Professor Dr.
Franz Bader explains how the robot helps with operations
With Moritz Schönherr, the surgeons faced a special challenge.
The scalpel was used in the area of the rectum and the sphincter – in the so-called small pelvis.
“We have to operate there in a very small space and with particular caution,” explains chief surgeon Bader, who is one of Munich’s most experienced specialists in minimally invasive abdominal procedures and is continually committed to expanding colon cancer prevention.
In order to remove an approximately 20 centimeter long piece of intestine from her patient Schönherr as gently as possible, surgeon Sohn used a high-tech helper called Da Vinci.
Experienced chief surgeon: Franz G. Bader in the operating room of the Isar Clinic.
© Markus Götzfried
The surgeon can use the robotic arms to operate in confined spaces as if he were using his own hands.
Professor Franz G. Bader, Head of Surgery at the Isar Clinic
Robot enables intestinal operations in the smallest of spaces
This surgical robot, which has been successfully helping with delicate urological operations such as prostate cancer for decades, is also becoming increasingly important in abdominal surgery.
Working arms are inserted through the smallest cuts, which can be controlled from the outside with millimeter precision using joysticks.
“In principle, a layperson can imagine it as if the doctor had been shrunk to miniature size.
With the help of the robotic arms, he can operate in confined spaces as if he were using his own hands,” explains Bader.
“This means we can work even more precisely.
The patient also loses less blood and recovers more quickly from the procedure.”
Intestinal patient Moritz Schönherr: “I can finally enjoy everyday life again”
Moritz Schönherr also quickly got back on his feet.
He was allowed to go home just four days after the procedure.
His temporary artificial anus could be retracted after just a few weeks.
The 36-year-old goes to physiotherapy regularly and is recovering better and better.
“You need a little patience until everything falls into place again.
But now I’m getting along very well,” says the Munich native.
“The bottom line is that I have gained a lot of new quality of life.
I can move much more freely again and can finally enjoy everyday life again.”
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editorial team is not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.