Department of Vascular Surgery

Inselspital Bern

The Department of Vascular Surgery is the largest vascular surgery department in Switzerland, performing over 300 aortic procedures annually at the Swiss Aortic Center Bern and providing comprehensive vascular care in collaboration with the Department of Angiology at the University Vascular Center Bern.

To the Inselspital website

Director

Prof. Drosos Kotelis

Profile

  • Provides the full range of modern vascular surgery techniques, including both open and endovascular procedures.
  • Serves as reference center for aortic disorders in Switzerland in cooperation with the Department of Cardiac Surgery.
  • Provides comprehensive vascular medicine as part of the University Vascular Center Bern, in close partnership with the Department of Angiology.
  • Maintains close clinical partnerships with the vascular centers of Biel, Thun and Interlaken.
  • Offers competency-based medical education for undergraduate and postgraduate training.

External Partners

Clinical Trials Unit Bern, Cardiovascular Research Cluster Bern, European Vascular Research Collective, Research Collaborative in Peripheral Arterial Disease, ETH Zürich, Nanoflex Robotics

Grants

Educational Grant Cordis, Dr. med. Michel Bosiers 

Highlights 2025

“Vascular Surgery Bernese Oberland”: Thun Hospital, Interlaken Hospital, and Inselspital Bern Expand Their Collaboration

Spital STS AG, Spitäler fmi AG, and Insel Gruppe AG are expanding their existing cooperation in the field of surgical vascular medicine in Thun, Interlaken, and Bern and will operate under the joint name “Vascular Surgery Bernese Oberland” starting November 1, 2025.

Caption: Dr. Daniel Becker, Senior Physician (University Clinic for Vascular Surgery/University Vascular Center Bern; Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern), Dr. Gregor Siegel, Chief Physician (General and Visceral Surgery, Spitäler fmi AG, Interlaken Hospital), Prof. Drosos Kotelis, Clinic Director/Chief Physician (University Clinic for Vascular Surgery/University Vascular Center Bern; Inselspital, University Hospital of Bern) and Prof. Dr. med. Georg R. Linke, Chief Physician, Surgical Clinic (Spital STS AG, Thun Hospital

A penetrating aortic ulcer shown in a 3D reconstruction (A) and a two-dimensional computed tomography scan (B) of the infrarenal aorta.

Endovascular Treatment of Infrarenal Penetrating Aortic Ulcers: Results of an International Multicenter Study

An international multicenter study analyzed 260 patients from twelve European vascular centers who were treated between 2018 and 2022. The majority received endovascular treatment. The technical success rate was over 99%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 1.5%. Complications occurred primarily in cases of symptomatic or emergency-treated PAU. The results confirm endovascular therapy as a safe and effective standard treatment for infrarenal penetrating aortic ulcers.

Becker et al., Eur J Vasc Endovasc Surg. 2025