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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Professor Dr. med. Dr. phil. Johannes Huber, 44, took office as Medical Director of the Urology Clinic at Heidelberg University Hospital on January 1, 2025. At the same time, he holds the W3 professorship for urology at the Medical Faculty Heidelberg of Heidelberg University. Johannes Huber comes from the University Hospital Marburg, where he already held the same position. His main areas of focus are urological cancers, minimally invasive robot-assisted procedures and reconstructive surgical techniques. Huber succeeds Professor Markus Hohenfellner, who is retiring after 21 years.
“Modern urology has developed the once very risky craft of stone removal into safe and gentle treatments using highly developed instruments. In addition, we help with all problems related to the urinary tract and male reproductive organs,” says Johannes Huber. Today, urology is a modern medical specialty that is rapidly developing and has often been a driver of innovation itself. This is due to the enthusiasm for technology in the field and also to the high number of patients. “In addition to the treatment of other benign diseases in children and adults, gentle stone removal continues to be one of the most important tasks in urology. But urological cancers are playing a much more prominent role. Today, due to increasing life expectancy, more and more people suffer from kidney, bladder or prostate cancer,” says Johannes Huber. ”Thanks to better techniques, tumors can usually be detected earlier and more reliably today. And more precise, partly robot-assisted surgical methods, as well as innovative drug therapies, help us to treat them effectively and at the same time as gently as possible
.”
Johannes Huber cites the diagnosis and treatment of prostate tumors as an example. The detection of this disease was revolutionized by MRI scans, and 15 years ago, the Department of Urology at Heidelberg University Hospital was a pioneer in the integration of these scans and in the removal of tissue from the prostate. Since then, MRI-fused prostate biopsy has become the gold standard of diagnosis. “Afterwards, we can either give the all-clear with a high degree of certainty or consider together with the patient and their relatives which treatment is the right one in each case. The options range from watchful waiting to radiation therapy and complete removal of the prostate. For this operation, we have a da Vinci robot of the latest generation to perform the procedure as gently as possible.”
Patients can actively contribute to the success of their treatment
Johannes Huber actively involves patients in their treatment: “With prehabilitation, i.e. physical training before the planned procedure, everyone can contribute to getting back on their feet faster after the operation,” explains the urologist. “Our older patients in particular, who often suffer from several illnesses at the same time, tolerate both the operation and the chemotherapy better if they are physically fit. And there is still enough time to improve fitness a little for elective surgery.” This includes strength and coordination training, as well as proper nutrition and breathing exercises to prevent pneumonia, for example. Huber is already involved in a study together with the sports medicine department at the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg for older patients before a complete removal of the bladder. Pelvic floor training has already been included in the treatment recommendations before a complete prostatectomy.
In general, Johannes Huber involves his patients closely in the planning of their treatment: “That is the core of my medical work,” he says, “finding the solution that best suits each individual through discussion together. In my view, allowing patients to participate in the decision-making process increases the quality of the treatment and satisfaction with the outcome.”
Focus on quality of life
Many men are very apprehensive about having an operation on their prostate. That is understandable, says Johannes Huber. “After all, it is not just about survival, but also about continuing to live with possibly limited essential bodily functions that can affect sexuality and urinary continence.” Surgery on the bladder or kidney can also be associated with functional impairment. Urology is therefore also a field that has long been concerned with the results from the perspective of those affected. “With the help of structured, validated questionnaires, we collect feedback from our patients.” These “patient-reported outcome measurements” (PROMs) allow subjective well-being to be measured objectively with a high degree of accuracy. “Our goal is not only to completely remove the tumor in the prostate, kidney or bladder, but also to do so as gently as possible. To get better and better at this, we need to measure the results of our treatment.”
Increasing and sharing knowledge
Professor Huber is also very active in the scientific field, where his main focus is on urological care research: “We are particularly interested in optimal care: Which active principle helps which patient best? What are the long-term consequences of a new surgical method? At what point in time – before or after surgery – should we use a systemic therapy? What other measures can we combine it with?” His parallel studies in philosophy laid the foundations for Johannes Huber's scientific work very early on. “In philosophy, you learn to ask the right questions, and of course that is also extremely important in medical research.”
In teaching, Johannes Huber focuses on practical offerings: ”I believe that young doctors should quickly get a feel for operating themselves. They can do that with us on the simulator without any risk. They practice on a model with real instruments and can, for example, retrieve stones from the kidney through the urethra. This not only helps them develop their skills, but also their confidence and self-assurance. And because practical work is inspiring, we are also recruiting new talent for urology!”
Strengthening the location
Intensive collaboration is essential for Johannes Huber: “You can't look at university medicine in isolation. Our goal is to provide optimal care in the region. To achieve this, it is crucial to work together with the surrounding stakeholders in a spirit of trust, especially with physicians in private practice. This is how we can succeed in providing holistic and interdisciplinary patient care across professional groups. This is also the goal of health services research: to come up with the best possible treatment concept for our patients.”
Professor Jürgen Debus, Chairman of the Management Board and Chief Medical Director of Heidelberg University Hospital, welcomes the new colleague: “With his wide-ranging skills, Johannes Huber is an excellent fit for Heidelberg: He will fit in perfectly at the Center for Surgery and will also expand collaborations with the NCT and the Department of Nephrology. As an enthusiastic proponent of outpatient care and the digitalization of medicine, he will help to make the UKHD fit for the future.”
Professor Michael Boutros, Dean of the Heidelberg Medical Faculty at Heidelberg University and a member of the UKHD Executive Board, is also pleased to welcome the new member of his faculty. “Heidelberg has an excellent reputation in the field of cancer research and treatment. With Professor Huber, we are further expanding this expertise through innovative research projects ranging from basic oncological research to clinical studies. His work will not only strengthen research and teaching at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, but also the translation potential in the region as a whole. We look forward to his many contributions.”
Personal details
Johannes Huber is already very familiar with Heidelberg: After studying medicine and philosophy in Munich and completing his doctorate in both subjects, he worked as a scientist and physician at the Department of Urology at Heidelberg University Hospital from 2006 to 2012. After completing his urological specialist training and a research stay at the University of Zurich funded by the German Cancer Aid, he moved to the University Hospital Dresden. Here he worked as a senior physician, senior attending physician and finally as deputy medical director of the Department of Urology. In 2022, he accepted the call to the W3 professorship in Urology at the University of Marburg and headed the Urological University Hospital Marburg for three years. Johannes Huber studied business administration at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg alongside his professional commitments. He is married and has two children.
Professor Dr. med. Dr. phil. Johannes Huber is the new Medical Director of the Urology Clinic at the ...
Heidelberg University Hospital
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Professor Dr. med. Dr. phil. Johannes Huber is the new Medical Director of the Urology Clinic at the ...
Heidelberg University Hospital
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