Debrecen4U November 20, 2025

The University of Debrecen’s Thoracic Surgery Department earns accreditation at a European level again

The Thoracic Surgery Department of the University of Debrecen’s Surgery Clinic has once again received accreditation from the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS), confirming that the institution provides patient care at a European standard. The department first earned this prestigious international qualification in 2012 as the first in Eastern Europe to do so. Since then, the certification has been renewed every five years under strict requirements, the university’s website reports.

“Accreditation is not only a prestigious professional recognition, but also a confirmation that thoracic surgery in Debrecen guarantees European-level safety and quality for patients. Our colleagues working in the field of thoracic surgery carry out their healing work with dedication and at an excellent standard, contributing significantly to the further strengthening of the national and international reputation of the Clinical Centre of the University of Debrecen,” said Professor Zoltán Szabó, President of the University of Debrecen’s Clinical Centre.

As recognition of its professional activity, the department received the ESTS certification in 2012, confirming that the unit is a European-quality care provider. Quality indicators are continuously monitored, and the certification is renewed every five years if the institution meets the strict requirements. This accreditation has now been extended until 2030. The Thoracic Surgery Department of the Surgery Clinic plays a key role in the region in terms of professional quality and case volume and holds a leading position nationally as well.

“Equipped with modern tools, our clinic’s well-trained thoracic surgery team raises standards not only within its own field but also across all related specialties. We perform a high volume of oncological surgical care, frequently encountering thyroid tumours extending into the chest cavity or complex tumours affecting both the abdominal and thoracic cavities. During such procedures, thoracic, oncological, and endocrine surgeons work together closely and regularly. In these situations, we can confidently rely on the expertise of our thoracic surgeon colleagues because we know the patient receives the highest-quality care,” emphasized Associate Professor Dezső Tóth, Director of the Surgery Clinic at the University of Debrecen’s Clinical Centre.

The department performs around five hundred operations annually, most of which involve lung tumor surgery. More than eighty percent of procedures use minimally invasive techniques, offering patients significantly faster recovery times.

“A procedure performed through an incision just a few centimetres long is far less burdensome for the patient than open surgery would be. In Europe, the rate of minimally invasive procedures averages thirty to thirty-two percent; at our clinic, around eighty percent of operations use this technique, and we were the first in Hungary to apply it for many conditions. We were also the first in the country to report a completely video endoscope assisted lobectomy — removal of an entire lung lobe. For chest wall deformities, we adopted the Nuss correction (endoscopic repair of pectus excavatum) very early on. This renewed accreditation recognises the high-quality work of our thoracic surgery team and reinforces that our professional direction is the right one,” stressed Associate Professor István Takács, Head of the Thoracic Surgery Department at the Surgery Clinic of the University of Debrecen’s Clinical Centre.

Within general thoracic surgery, the department treats, for example, benign and malignant esophageal diseases, tracheal and diaphragmatic disorders, chest deformities, and chest injuries and complications. They also perform several so-called borderline procedures in cooperation with other specialties (such as cardiac surgery, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, and head-and-neck surgery).

In recent years, several new methods have entered routine practice at the clinic, including the use of indocyanine green (ICG) and the application of motorized and electric stapling-cutting systems, which significantly expand surgical possibilities in line with new technological trends.

Source and photo credit: dehir.hu