Just introduce yourself:
My name is Dr. Thomas Winkler and I am a general surgeon, visceral surgeon, and vascular surgeon trained at Harvard University Boston and Medical University Vienna. From 1996 to 2003 I worked as a surgeon, trainer and teacher at the AKH and then senior physician at the hospital of the Barmherzige Brüder Wien until 2011. Currently I am working as a consultant and attending physician at the Vienna private clinics and in the Evangelical Hospital, surgeon and head of the reflux center at the Döbling private clinic, head and director of the practice at the Stubenring as well as the interdisciplinary preventive medicine and checkup center and as a medical adviser to BodyContour Vienna.
What is your idea and how do you work?
As a passionate surgeon, I have perfected the individual surgical interventions during my career with the most modern technology and according to the latest state of science and thus made them significantly more tolerable for the respective patient. The methods are minimally invasive and minimally tissue trauma and can be used very successfully not only for minor interventions, but also for major tumor operations. This is associated with significantly reduced pain, significantly shorter hospital stays and cosmetically appealing and barely visible scars. However, it takes a lot more than good surgery for a lasting and final recovery. The continuous and individually adapted care from the first patient contact to the last check-up is an important concern to me and is certainly one of the most important factors to achieve lasting treatment success. Whenever possible, the discussions take place in the respective mother tongue of the patient. I speak German and English myself and I have interpreters in the following languages: Polish, Russian, Arabic (other languages on request).
Which specialties do you offer operationally?
I specialize in the treatment of abdominal diseases - including tumor diseases - (gallbladder, intestines, cancer, diverticula, stomach, etc.), reflux (heartburn), thyroid diseases and diseases in the anal area such as hemorrhoids, fissures or fistulas specialized. I also treat thyroid diseases conservatively and surgically, fractures (hernias), do vascular reconstructions for intermittent claudication and treat varicose veins (varices). I also perform gastric and colonoscopy completely painlessly under sedation.
What makes you different from other doctors?
Since I always take a lot of time for my patients, people have been coming to me for many years whose medical histories are very complex or have lasted for a long time without the person affected being helped. If one understands that body and soul / psyche work together like a gear, it is only logical to implement a holistic algorithm for every diagnosis, including other specialist disciplines from conventional medicine and natural medicine teachings. In the context of somatization, mental tensions look for an organ through which the pain is expressed. Conversely, every physical trauma results in a mental wound. Sustainable and causal therapy can therefore only be carried out on a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary basis and adapted to the needs of the individual. My network consists of specialists from 32 different specialist disciplines in order to guarantee the best possible diagnosis and therapy.
How does that work in practice?
In principle, two different patient groups come to my practice:
On the one hand, patients who are healthy and want a preventive medical check-up, which is compiled by collecting the individual risk profile - consisting of personal lifestyle, previous illnesses or family history. On the other hand, patients come to me with a specific question or illness: A suitable diagnosis plan is established here so that the actual problem can be quickly identified. Afterwards, after a detailed explanation of the interrelationships, a suitable therapy plan is established, whereby patient wishes are of course included. Much of the therapy is limited to lifestyle changes, conservative treatment regimes or drug therapy. If the constellation is such that the conservative or medication-based treatment is not promising while exhausting all options and there are no other alternatives, only then will an operation be considered. In this case, too, the procedure itself and the individual steps are discussed in detail with the patient and tailored to individual wishes if possible. Both endoscopies (gastroscopy and colonoscopy), which are completely painless, and operations are carried out in private or public hospitals, depending on the type of illness, suitability of the hospital and the patient's insurance. When choosing a hospital, the patient's wishes are of course taken into account. All examinations and hospital stays are organized and determined promptly.
What are your strengths?
I offer interdisciplinary medicine at a very high level based on the latest scientific findings and with the latest technology, accessible to everyone.
The following points are very important to me: To give the patient time, to listen, to give him confidence and security through information and to accompany him during the entire phase of the treatment and to give him the best possible care
My team and I ensure that you can enjoy your life healthily and actively for longer.