finnhealth magazine english

“The FinnHealth team provides unique health tourism services.”Helena Länsimies,FinnHealth Manager

MAGAZINE

FINNHEALTH 3

FinnHealth welcomes you to Finland and to the peak of health tourism to Kuopio!Finland is known for its pure nature, air and water, as well as its high level of education and well-being of the population. We want to provide this knowledge and Finnish experiences to You in context of health tourism.

Our FinnHealth team provides a high quality health tourism-oriented service, where You and your health are the centre of attention. We tailor a comprehensive service according to Your needs, where you will be offered high-quality medical assistance in addition to quality accommodation services for you and your family together with auxiliary activities. We have good connections by plane, by train, as well as by car.

Our world-class health care system is based on university education, which is offered in Kuopio at the University of Eastern Finland. For example, last year 139 doctors and 70 specialists graduated here.

Following the recent introduction of our new build, we are Finland’s most modern hospital, where best practices and the latest technology is applied. Through our cooperation network, expertise in different fields of medicine will be available to you.

We warmly welcome you as our guest!

Jorma Penttinen, MD, PhDMedical Director

Helena Länsimies, PhDFinnHealth Manager

CONTENT

WELCOME 3

FINLAND 4

KUOPIO 7

KUOPIO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL 8

HEART DISEASE 11

EPILEPSY 12

RADIOTHERAPY 14

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AND DISEASES 17

PLASTIC SURGERY AND DERMATOLOGY 18

REHABILITATION 21

DENTAL TREATMENT AND SURGERY 23

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION SERVICE 24-28

FINNHEALTH SERVICE 30

WELCOME

4 FINNHEALTH

Finland

Finland stands out from other countries through its authenticity and unspoiled nature. Clean lakes, lush green forests and the quietness make the country an attractive and safe option to those who have experienced the world’s metropolitans. Finland is located at the top of Europe, where the East and West cross, due to which our country has become a unique meeting place of contrasts. The Finns are known as genuine, hard-working and uncompromised people, who can be trusted.

Finnish design is a powerful concept that evokes exceptional interest around the world. Innovative solutions form an integral part of it, where north aesthetics are combined with high quality. The high-level design expertise is perceived as part of the Finnish welfare society and an attempt to make people’s lives better.

Finland is known to focus on innovation and as a well-functioning modern technology society. Our economically and politically stable country’s expertise in high technology and innovation are world-class. Behind Finland’s welfare is a well-functioning health care system and its development with advanced methods and technology solutions. Health technology has emerged as one of Finland’s largest high-tech export areas.

FINLAND

HANNAKO R V E L A

FINNHEALTH 7

KUOPIO

Active promoter of well-being The city of Kuopio, which has grown significantly in recent years, is the top city of welfare, health and safety expertise, located in the centre of Finland. The university, university hospital, the training units for different sectors and research organisations, as well as versatile business together with tourist centres form a strong platform for the development of business and innovation. Kuopio has been an active member of the global WHO Healthy Cities Network since 2005.

Located at the coast of picturesque Lake Kallavesi, Kuopio is a welcoming and safe city of 111 000 inhabitants. The water areas that cover a third of the city’s surface area and the typical topographical variation of the region make Kuopio unique. Vibrant Kuopio offers tourists diverse opportunities for leisure, a rich variety of sports facilities, as well as high-quality welfare services, not forgetting about culture. 92 different nationalities live in the city that is accustomed to foreign guests.

Kuopio is one of Finland’s most popular tourist cities, which is largely thanks to the friendly residents of Kuopio.

Kuopio - vibrant tourist city

FINNHEALTH 8

Our entire hospital will be reformed over the next decade, by means of new builds and renovations. The basis of the reform is the new hospital that will be introduced in the summer of 2015, where the hospital’s core functions will be placed. This building covers an area of over 35 000 brm² and the construction costs are approximately 100 million euros. Our hospital’s complex of 26 operating theatres and 50 recovery room places is one of the largest in Europe. In these new facilities, we will carry out 100 surgeries, 600 outpatient visits and 40 dialysis treatments daily. In the autumn of 2015, the new building for radiotherapy will also be completed, where, for example, the radiotherapy unit, oncology outpatient clinic and infusion unit will be located. After this, the renovation of our old buildings will begin.

In spite of the scale of our operations, we operate in a compactly integrated area, where all our services are available quickly and flexibly if the situation so requires. - We want the very best!

The most important task of KUH is to provide the best possible care to our patients. We represent all medical specialties, who work closely in multidisciplinary cooperation. For example, epilepsy surgery and the treatment of especially severe burns have been nationally centralised to our hospital. We treat the most common national diseases in special top centres, such as Neurology, Cardiovascular and Cancer Centres. In them, the various specialisations strive to overcome the disease together.

4 300 employees are at your service. The size of our hospital is described by, for example, the fact that annually we have 360 000 outpatient visits, 90 000 patients treated in the wards, 22 000 operations and 2 500 births. The excellent quality of our operations is indicated with the international quality certificate ISO 9001:2008, which has been granted, at its full extent, to KUH as Finland’s only university hospital. And most importantly, according to opinion polls, our patients are very satisfied with the treatment they have been offered.

Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) is one of Finland’s five university hospitals. We provide a high standard of clinical care, we carry out internationally respected research and train top experts for the Finnish health care system. We are responsible for the university-levelled specialised medical care of almost one million Eastern and Central Finland’s residents.

Kuopio University Hospital KUH - We want to improve

KUOPIO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

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On behalf of the entire network,

Director, Chief Physician, Professor Juha Hartikainen, MD, PhD Heart Centre

Vascular surgery

In vascular surgery, we treat stenosed arteries surgically with various methods, as well as intravenously with angioplasty and stenting. The contemporary treatment of cardiovascular disease is a combination of different techniques. For example, during the same procedure, we can carry out iliac artery angioplasty and stenting, as well as well as femoro-popliteal bypass surgery. In the treatment of aneurysms, we apply the latest technologies, such as intravenous prosthetic stents by means of traditional open surgery alongside technology. We aim to carry out the treatment of varicose veins or superficial venous thrombosis by utilising puncture techniques (radiofrequency ablation, laser, foam sclerotherapy). Thus, we often avoid making any skin incisions.

We carry out about 220 thyroid and parathyroid surgical treatments each year.

Coronary Heart Disease Treatment

We carry out 2,000 coronary angiographs and about 1,000 angioplasty procedures annually. With balloon angioplasty, we can take care of coronary heart disease so that the patient comes to the hospital on the morning of the operation and can go home during the same day. In the treatment of more difficult coronary heart disease, bypass surgery is generally the most suitable treatment.

Arrhythmias

We have modern electroanatomical mapping systems, as well as magnetic navigation equipment used in the treatment of more demanding arrhythmias. We annually carry out around 450 electrophysiologic studies and ablations. In addition to catheter ablation treatment, we use ICD’s for the treatment of the most severe, life-threatening arrhythmias. We also implant so-called biventricular pacemakers as part of severe heart failure treatment.

Valve diseases

The primary treatment for severe valve diseases is heart surgery and the repair or replacement of a defective valve with a prosthetic valve. In the treatment of valve diseases, we aim to use so-called corrective surgery, where the defective valve is repaired without the use of an artificial valve. In aortic valve surgery, we either implant a biological valve or a mechanical prosthetic valve. The latest treatment is the using of a transcatheter aortal prosthetic valve, in other words valve implantation without open surgery.

Annually, we offer high quality treatment to more than 20 000 patients. We utilise the latest knowledge and technology of medical therapy. In addition, we have the equipment for even the most demanding cardiac imaging (e.g. CT, MRI, PET), as well as a comprehensive quality monitoring system. 40 cardiologists and surgeons, as well as nearly 150 nursing professionals focus on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. We are internationally known for our treatment and research. We are specialists in cardiology, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, including oesophageal and lung surgery and vascular surgery. In addition, we treat patients that need thyroid and parathyroid gland surgery.

High-quality cardiac and vascular treatment

HEART DISEASE

Annually, we offer high quality treatment to more than 20 000 patients.

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Chief Physician, Professor Reetta Kälviäinen, MD, PhDKuopio Epilepsy Center

We are able to cater for all matters related to epilepsy. Our activities include the refinement of the cause of a diagnosis and epilepsy, the classification of an epilepsy seizure type and epilepsy syndrome, diagnosis of non-epileptic seizure symptoms, as well as finding medication for a specified diagnosis and the assessment of its side effects. In addition, we provide assessment and treatment for the opportunities of surgical or stimulation therapy, planning of treatment during pregnancy, diagnosis and care of rare epilepsy syndromes (rare diseases, orphan diseases), as well as epilepsy trials with new drugs.

Our work’s quality is guaranteed by a high level of scientific research, active training activities and development work. We operate in an Epilepsy Centres Network that covers Europe, in both patient care and research work.

We offer diagnostics and treatment of severe epilepsy in adults and children alike by combining the expertise of a multiple specialities. The patient’s comprehensive and multi-disciplinary examination and treatment is coordinated by our neurologist with whom a working group of clinical neurophysiology, neuroradiology, neuropsychology, as well as other specialised experts work in cooperation. Our specific areas of expertise include intracranial EEG registrations and epilepsy surgery. The majority of Finland’s epilepsy surgery is performed here in Kuopio.

Professional treatment of epilepsy in adults and children

EPILEPSY

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On behalf of the CyberKnife team,

Deputy Chief Physician, Associate Professor Mikael von und zu Fraunberg, MD, PhDDepartment of Neurosurgery

When treating intracranial targets, the patient’s head is secured to the treatment table with a mask. This individual mask is made of thin plastic material, which shapes according to facial features when it is heated. Such securement of the position is sufficient as the device detects and can rectify minor head movements. With conventional devices even a small movement is not allowed, so the skull must be secured to the treatment table with bone screws and a frame. Therefore, CyberKnife treatment is much more pleasant for the patient.

CyberKnife treatment is either performed as a single treatment or as fractionated therapy, usually 1-6 treatment sessions. The treatment sessions lasts from half an hour to an hour, depending on the treatment target and the beam dose.

CyberKnife is a precision radiation therapy device based on robotic technology, where a linear accelerator is mounted on the robot arm. This allows us to align the treatment beam to the desired range up to an accuracy of less than half a millimetre. With the CyberKnife radiation therapy device, the treatment beam can freely be focused on the patient from different angles, in which case radiation-sensitive tissues and organs can be better avoided. In conventional devices, which are not based on robotics, the number of treatment directions is more limited and the accuracy is worse. The robot also takes into account the treatment-term movements of the patient and makes any necessary corrections to the alignment of the treatment.

The robot can even “breathe” in rhythm with the patient, in which case, for example, areas in the lungs region, can be treated.

The CyberKnife precision radiotherapy device was introduced in KUH in 2012. The device is the ordinal 295th in the world and so far the only one in the Nordic countries. There are devices in 14 countries in Europe. We have so far treated a total of approximately 500 patients with our device, of which more than 150 have been neurosurgical, intracranial procedures. The most common subjects of treatment have been meningioma (56 cases), cerebral arteriovenous malformation (26 cases) and acoustic neuroma (18 cases). The experience with the radiotherapy has been good and no serious side effects have been observed. We provide precision radiotherapy efficiently, safely, and by taking into account the individual needs of the patient.

CyberKnife - precision radiation therapy based on robotic technology efficiently and safely

RADIOTHERAPY

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Orthopaedic Surgeon, Head of Division, Chief Physician Hannu Miettinen, MD, PhDDeparment of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Hand Surgery

Our KUH Orthopaedics, traumatology and hand surgery clinic won the Finnish Medical Association Quality Award for the treatment processes of arthroplasty patients. Every year, we carry out around 1450 joint replacement surgeries, the most common being knee and hip replacement surgeries.

Osteoarthritis is the world’s most common joint disease. The initial treatment of osteoarthritis is always carried out without surgical intervention. If osteoarthritis has progressed so far that other means - either non-surgical or minor surgical treatments - no longer help, there is arthroplasty, as means of surgical treatment, especially in cases of hip and knee osteoarthritis. The arthroplasty treatment process begins from the patient’s needs. First, we will do the clinical, laboratory and radiological examinations, which include the patient’s medical clearance for other diseases as well, and the possible issues influencing arthroplasty. The clearances are usually carried out as multi-professional cooperation between the patient and the professionals.

In surgical decision making, we take into account the potential contraindications to surgery, other general diseases and medications, as well as review the prerequisites for good rehabilitation. During the pre-operative visit, the patient will meet the surgeon, endoprosthesis nurse and the physiotherapist, as well as, where appropriate, the anaesthesiologist. We only use artificial joints, which have top class results in international registers for operations that have been carried out.

We offer high standard, Western medicine-based orthopaedic, traumatology and hand surgery examinations and treatment. Thanks to our efficient activities, treatment times have shortened considerably. For example, inpatient care, after a knee and hip replacement surgery, will last only 3-5 days. We will arrange a follow-up visit 2-3 months after surgery.

High-level treatment to the patient’s musculoskeletal problems

MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS AND DISEASES

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On behalf of the whole team,

Chief Physician Paula Mustonen, MD, PhD Department of Plastic Surgery and Dermatology

The most important form of treatment for melanoma is surgery. In addition, it is very essential to find out the possible spread of melanoma to the nearby lymph nodes along the lymphatic vessels. We do this examination by carrying out a so-called sentinel lymph node biopsy, for which we have 15 years of experience. If we find melanoma cells in the lymph nodes by means of such biopsy, we can improve the prognosis of the patient in order to prevent the disease from spreading by carrying out a completion lymph node dissection. In the post-operative follow-up, we will focus on the detection of potential recurrence or new skin tumours in the cutaneous and lymph node regions.

We will also instruct and support the patient for independent monitoring. Melanoma may recur regionally or as metastases. Depending on the situation, we can also treat recurring melanoma with surgical treatment or medication treatment for cancer diseases. We always design the surgical treatment, medication treatment or radiotherapy individually for patients with metastatic melanoma.

We treat all kinds of diseases of the mammary gland, from birth defects and infections to tumours. We are a very high standard breast cancer care centre, and as a pioneer in Finland, we have implemented plastic surgery as an integral part of breast cancer treatment. We plan a breast cancer patient’s treatment in a multidisciplinary working group and the plastic surgeon is responsible for the implementation of the surgical treatment. We take care of breast cancer efficiently, but we use the conserving surgical technique, whenever it is possible.

We also operate on a lot of skin cancers, including cutaneous melanoma, which in the last decades has become one of the most increasingly common cancers in the Western world. The biggest risk factor for cutaneous melanoma is the burning of the skin, which is caused by the sun’s ultraviolet radiation.

We offer high quality services for the treatment of breast cancer and burns. We are also responsible for microsurgical corrective surgeries and the treatment of soft tissue cancers. Our plastic surgeon services are available around the clock.

Individual plastic surgery for the treatment of breast cancer and cutaneous melanoma

PLASTIC SURGERY AND DERMATOLOGY

FINNHEALTH 21

On behalf of our team,

Director, Chief Physician Kauko Pitkänen, MD, PhDThe Finnish Brain Research and Rehabilitation Centre Neuron

Rehabilitation customers can be accommodated with full board. Medical doctor’s examinations and around the clock nurse assistance can be included if required. Our staff is highly skilled and will always pay attention to our customers’ needs. Therapies can be arranged on a daily basis even if the customer is accommodating elsewhere.

Welcome to rehabilitate!

Augmentation of motor function can be enhanced if some voluntary active movement still remains on the paralysed side. It is not unusual, that a person in a wheelchair due to post-stroke disability may relearn to walk again after a few weeks of intensive rehabilitation. State-of-the-art technology allows rehabilitation to proceed smoothly towards the individual goals. We wish to make your rehabilitation experience to be interesting and enjoyable.

We recommend a special intensified rehabilitation program for the person who has had a stroke less than six months earlier and still has great difficulties in walking. In that case we will evaluate the recovery potential and make a detailed rehabilitation program and timeline for restoration of walking ability. It must be emphasized that even the most effective rehabilitation methods do not guarantee the recovery of fluent locomotion. However, the most essential goal is to improve mobility and functionality so that the person will be better off in his or her living environment.

We are dedicated to the rehabilitation of neurological disorders. Rehabilitation program for promoting functional restoration after stroke is our strongest expertise. Novel technological innovations such as gait robot and electromechanical upper limb training devices integrated to virtual sceneries or serious game applications can be provided to inspire motivation for repetitive training to reach for individual goals.

Effective rehabilitation for promoting functional capabilities

REHABILITATION

FINNHEALTH 23

On behalf of the whole team, Managing Director, Specialist Dentist, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Ville Pesonen, DDSHammas Hohde clinic

Tooth malposition, on the other hand, can be corrected with professional orthodontic treatment. Invisalign, in other words invisible orthodontic treatment comfortably straightens teeth, and almost invisibly due to transparent aligners. Our specialised dentist versed in aesthetic dental care operates as the Finnish Dental Association expert and his team always prepares an individual treatment plan that is suitable for your teeth.

Would you like to sleep when having dental treatment?Dental treatment may require several visits and thus, take up a lot of your time. Sometimes the mere thought of visiting the dentist may cause feelings of fear and anxiety. Anaesthesia allows us to make a number of treatments during a single treatment visit, and you can get your teeth done in one go. This type of treatment is comfortable and completely safe for the patient.

Extensive and long experience in implant treatmentEach of us has a different mouth and dentition, which is influenced by genetics, lifestyle and external factors. Dental implant treatments allow everyone the possibility to get natural-looking and healthy teeth, which function in the way their own teeth would. Implant treatment is highly advanced and safe, and allows us to correct the structural problems in the mouth. Our oral and maxillofacial surgeons carry out implant treatments painlessly with more than 15 years of experience.

A beautiful smile lights up your face regardless of ageNo matter what your teeth are like, we are able to create a beautiful and natural smile for you as well. Teeth appearance, shape and colour can be beautified by means of aesthetic dental care, for example, whitening, veneers and crowns. With Cerec 3D technology, blemishes and old fillings can be repaired to look and feel natural already during a single visit.

The industry’s most skilled and experienced professionals will provide you with the best possible dental care in close cooperation by utilising each other’s special expertise. The high-quality device and equipment range, as well as our top experts allow for very high-quality primary and specialised dental care in modern premises designed exactly for our activities. We have the latest imaging equipment, and we use, for example, Cone beam computed tomography (3D imaging) for examining the structure of the face, jaws and teeth already at the planning stage of the treatment. In this way we get the best results.

Better quality of life with treated, healthy teeth

DENTAL TREATMENT AND SURGERY

24 FINNHEALTH

On behalf of the whole team,

Managing Director Katrina LahtiKunnonpaikka

We also offer you a wide range of sports, pampering and leisure facilities. Various swimming pools, fitness centres, gym and sports facilities, as well as a smoke sauna located beside a lake, are available for you to use. You can also relax with massage, foot care and beauty care services. Here you’ll find your own bathing beach, where you can play beach volleyball, frisbee golf and mini golf. You can also rent bicycles, walking sticks, rowboats, canoes, as well as heart rate monitors. During the winter, you can keep active with snowshoes, skis and a sledding hill.

Welcome to enjoy!

You have access to the knowledgeable research and testing station Fysioklinikka, which offers physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nutrition therapy, and psychological and medical services. Guidance and coaching services are carried out with solid professionalism. Here you will find the framework for promoting health, physical activity and well-being.

We offer comfortable accommodation in a spa hotel, where you will have a varied selection of hotel rooms available. Some rooms are suitable, for example, for customers that use aids. Customers can choose to rent a wheelchair, a walker, a bed raiser, a shower chair and other necessary aids, for their rooms.

Our FinnHealth health tourism service consists of high-quality accommodation, rehabilitation, activity and transport services, in addition to health care services, which are all tailored to meet your wishes.

FinnHealth - comprehensive service according to your wishes

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION SERVICE

Rehabilitation with experiencesOur services are particularly well suited for customers with needs for rehabilitation, for example, after a surgery implemented by our FinnHealth service.

FINNHEALTH 27

On behalf of the whole team, Managing Director Pekka VihmaTahko Spa Hotel, Vanajanlinna Group

The apartments have a private sauna, free Wi-Fi, spacious, glassed balconies, as well as an LCD TV equipped with a DVD player. Fully equipped with its own kitchen, private parking space and a lockable sports equipment storage are also included in the accommodation package.

Our resort offers a variety of activity packages all year round. Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, golfing, mountain biking, horseback riding, kayaking and fishing are just a few examples of the wide selection. Our spa also provides refreshing moments. Our pool area has a swimming pool, rehabilitation and recreation pool, jacuzzi, as well as a children’s pool and water slide. In addition, our spa also has refreshing outdoor pools and a Wibit adventure course.

We offer high-quality accommodation at our resort. The starting point of the holiday apartments is high quality.

High-quality accommodation near activities

At our multi activity hall, you can go bowling and play different ball games. The surrounding area also consists of an extensive hiking trail network and a wide range of waterways.

Welcome to enjoy!




28 FINNHEALTH

Cosy hotel accommodation in the middle of servicesLocated at the edge of a beautiful park, we offer varied and comfortable city hotel accommodation in the very centre of Kuopio.

Our rooms are cosy and they all have a desk, a TV and a minibar. Some of our rooms also have their own sauna. As our guest, you can relax on the hotel’s large terrace, or even hire a bicycle to explore the city. Our hotel sauna, gym and Wi-Fi are available free of charge.

As our guest, you can enjoy your time at our rustic French cuisine specialised restaurant, or at our restaurant, where fresh food prepared on the spot is served. In the cosy Bistro Wine & Deli, you can also enjoy snacks and discover a variety of wines.

Welcome to stay in the heart of Kuopio! !

On behalf of the whole team, General Manager Johanna VäätäinenOriginal Sokos Hotel Puijonsarvi




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Patient Coordinator, Registered Nurse Maryna ArtemenkoFinninsh Care Oy +358 40 [email protected]

Our patient coordinator Finnish Care

Fioperates as our FinnHealth team’s patient coordinator, with whom we offer high quality health and wellness tourism benefits to You, if you personally pay for your treatment. We serve customers who arrive to Finland from all over the world, and we have a special team for customers arriving from Russian-speaking countries.

Our medicine and tourism sector partners in several countries include both private and public operators.

We hope to hear from you soon!

Our FinnHealth team will help you find and select the suitable service package. Our team consists of highly qualified and experienced medical and service sector professionals.

We provide customers, coming from all over the world to Finland, a high quality health tourism-oriented service, where You and your health are the centre of attention. We tailor a comprehensive service according to Your needs, where you will be offered high-quality medical assistance, in addition to quality accommodation services for you and your family, together with auxiliary activities. We have good connections by plane, by train, as well as by car.

FinnHealth Manager will serve You, if you are health insured or live in Finland, or another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, and you would like to seek treatment with us.

Welcome to experience the high-quality FinnHealth service

FINNHEALTH SERVICE

Helena Länsimies, PhDFinnHealth Manager, KUH

+358 44 [email protected]

WWW.FINNHEALTH.FI

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Responsible FC Manager Finland, Nana Ordzhonikidze, Ph.DD.Sci Finnish Care Oy+358 50 528 [email protected]

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