Information About Prof Dr Johannes Görich

Prof. Johannes Goerich is an established specialist in radiology and interventional radiology at the Heidelberg Radiology Practice, one of the most up to date centres for radiological and nuclear medical diagnostics. Together with standard medical procedures, radiological diagnostics at the most up to date medical level is provided here.

As well as the diagnostic range consisting of magnetic resonance tomography, nuclear medicine and radiological diagnostics, together with its state of the art facilities, with premium high-tech devices, the Heidelberg Radiology Practice has been equipped with the world's latest low-radiation high-end computer tomograph, the Somatom Force by the Siemens company, since November 2014.

With the aid of the radiological diagnostic systems, the Heidelberg Radiology Practice medical team under Prof. J. Goerich can obtain detailed information about the type, the spread and the stage of a large number of significant malignant conditions, even in the early stages, in which symptoms are not externally perceptible.

Here, radiological diagnosis is a pain-free and, for you, completely uncomplicated procedure. Aided by this, cardiovascular and tumour conditions can be identified with the greatest precision and hence, the individually best treatment for you can be initiated.

In order to guarantee the highest level of medical quality, the team at the Heidelberg Radiology Practice consists not only of excellent radiologists for radiological diagnostics, but also of specialists in nuclear medicine, neuroradiology and cardiology. These specialists complete the medically and scientifically highly qualified practice team. A rapid expert exchange (second opinion) is in place, in conjunction with the other Practice sites.

Since the end of 2014, the standard diagnostic procedures of the Heidelberg Radiology Practice have included the world’s latest low-dose computer tomograph, the SOMATOM Force, by the Siemens company. Aided by this, all the organs of the body can be investigated more gently in the most precise detail and with the lowest radiation dose to date. In comparison with conventional CT apparatuses, the radiation dose is reduced by up to 90% (radiation exposure is markedly lower than e.g. for a transatlantic flight). The very brief examination times allow both very young patients and patients with renal insufficiency to be examined without a severe health hazard due to high doses of contrast medium (damaging to the kidneys) or having to endure irradiation. In particular, patients with claustrophobia will benefit from the new SOMATOM Force because this state of the art technique allows a large number of investigations to be carried out with a very large opening in the device (gantry) in just a few seconds.

The high-end computer tomograph is not just impressive because of its greater speed, low contrast medium requirement and low radiation dose, but rather because the organs of the body can also be depicted in four-dimensional space (4-D technique). By this means, not only can a three-dimensional depiction of all organs be created but even the function of the organs concerned can also be examined precisely. This provides new opportunities, particularly in the area of the early recognition of cancer conditions and circulatory disorders of the heart, the lungs and the large vessels in various areas of the body, in particular, as well, in the region of the targeted investigation of the head and neck vessels in the diagnosis of a cerebrovascular accident.

The revolutionary computer tomograph is distinguished by its particular precision and accuracy in detecting the vessels. The indications for this latest generation of CT apparatuses are particularly in this area of preventative diagnostics (screening examination). With the aid of the SOMATOM Force, the Heidelberg Radiology Practice team can perform, for example, comprehensive, non-invasive diagnoses of the coronary vessel system. These include the investigation of cardiac valve and cardiac vessel conditions. The high image resolution and accuracy of detail of the modern computer tomograph enable the exact determination of the degree of calcification of the coronary vessels. With this determination, the individual risk of potential coronary heart disease, which is associated with a high risk of myocardial infarction, can be estimated (calcium scoring, coronary CT angiography).

Together with the CT, the radiation-free method of magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) is also one of the specialities of the Heidelberg Radiology Practice. This provides a supplement or alternative in the area of the diagnosis of vascular and cardiac conditions. In particular, the blood flow of the cardiac muscle in cardiomuscular conditions and recognising circulatory disorders of the cardiac muscle can be evaluated outstandingly by means of MRT (cardiac ischaemia stress test).

In addition, all the larger joints such as the shoulders, hips, the knee, the ankle and the hand can also be highly accurately investigated for soft tissue damage to tendons, ligaments, cartilage and the musculature by means of injecting contrast medium into the joint cavity.

As mammography (X-ray of the breast) and MR mammography allow the evaluation of possibly malignant changes in the breast, malignant changes in the prostate can be diagnosed using MRT prostate diagnostics.

In addition, the Heidelberg Radiology Practice also provides special CT-guided, interventional pain therapy for back pain. Under CT-controlled guidance, a targeted minimally invasive pain treatment of the affected joints and nerve exit points is performed. This very frequently results in the alleviation of / relief from the pain of inflamed joints in the back and irritated nerve regions.

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