Martini-Klinik am UKE

Martini-Klinik am UKE is the world's highest-volume prostate cancer center, located on the campus of the Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in Hamburg, Germany. The clinic specializes exclusively in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, performing more radical prostatectomy surgeries than any other center in the world — with over 2,300 prostatectomies performed annually.

Founded by Professor Hartwig Huland, who pioneered the nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy technique, Martini-Klinik has built its world-leading reputation on a singular focus: achieving the best possible oncological cancer control while maximizing the preservation of urinary continence and sexual function — the two quality-of-life outcomes that matter most to prostate cancer patients. The center's functional outcomes data, which are collected and published meticulously, demonstrate continence and potency preservation rates that are consistently among the best in the world.

The clinic's extraordinary volume — more than ten prostatectomies performed per day on average — creates an unparalleled learning and quality environment. Each surgeon at Martini-Klinik performs hundreds of prostatectomies per year, compared to dozens at a general urological center, and this depth of repetitive high-quality surgical practice directly translates into superior patient outcomes. The clinic's continuous outcome monitoring and feedback system ensures that surgical performance remains at the highest level.

Martini-Klinik attracts patients from across Germany, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and globally, with approximately 30% of patients traveling from outside Germany to access its unique combination of world-leading volume, superior outcomes, and comprehensive English-language international patient services.

Martini-Klinik's entire clinical focus is the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. This singular specialization, combined with extraordinary volume, has created the world's deepest concentration of prostate cancer expertise in a single center.

Radical prostatectomy is the clinic's defining procedure. Both open radical retropubic prostatectomy (the technique pioneered at Martini-Klinik by Prof. Huland) and robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP using the da Vinci system) are performed. The nerve-sparing technique, which preserves the neurovascular bundles responsible for erectile function while achieving cancer clearance, is performed at Martini-Klinik with a precision and consistency that produces outcomes superior to virtually all other centers in the world.

Diagnostic excellence underpins the treatment program. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) of the prostate is used for lesion characterization and biopsy targeting through MRI-ultrasound fusion-guided biopsy. Molecular pathology provides detailed characterization of tumor biology to guide treatment decisions. Active surveillance is offered for low-risk prostate cancer, with structured monitoring protocols developed through the clinic's research programs.

Focal therapy for localized prostate cancer is provided through HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) and cryotherapy, offering ablation of the cancer focus while preserving surrounding prostate tissue. Coordination with UKE's radiation oncology department provides external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy options for patients where radiation is preferred over surgery.

Rehabilitation after surgery is a structured program: pelvic floor physiotherapy for continence recovery and sexual medicine consultations for erectile function management are integrated into the post-operative care pathway, reflecting the clinic's commitment to functional outcomes as well as cancer control.

Martini-Klinik occupies a dedicated building on the campus of the Universitaetsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) in the Eppendorf district of Hamburg. This campus location provides the clinic with access to UKE's full hospital infrastructure — including ICU, blood bank, anesthesiology, emergency services — while maintaining the focus and culture of a highly specialized single-disease center.

The clinic's operating theatres are equipped with multiple da Vinci robotic surgery systems for robotic-assisted prostatectomy and with the instrumentation and training environment for open retropubic prostatectomy. Both techniques are performed at world-class volume, allowing patients to choose the approach that best suits their anatomy and preferences.

The diagnostic center at Martini-Klinik includes a dedicated prostate MRI program with multiparametric 3T MRI protocols specifically designed for prostate cancer detection and characterization. MRI-ultrasound fusion biopsy technology allows precise targeting of suspicious MRI lesions for biopsy.

Focal therapy rooms are equipped with HIFU (Sonablate and other systems) and cryotherapy equipment for image-guided focal treatment of localized prostate cancer. Post-operative rehabilitation facilities include pelvic floor physiotherapy rooms and a sexual medicine consultation suite.

The clinic's outcomes database and data infrastructure represent one of its most important 'facilities': a meticulously maintained registry of all prostatectomy outcomes — cancer control, continence, and sexual function — at each time point following surgery, which is used to benchmark performance and drive continuous improvement.

Martini-Klinik has one of the most sophisticated international patient programs among German specialty hospitals, reflecting the global demand for its world-leading prostate cancer expertise. Approximately 30% of patients come from outside Germany, with particularly large groups from the United Kingdom, Middle East, North America, Russia, and across Europe.

The clinic's international team provides services in multiple languages including English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Arabic. The process for international patients begins with a remote case review: patients submit their PSA history, biopsy reports, MRI, and clinical notes, and the Martini-Klinik team provides a detailed written assessment with treatment recommendations, usually within 5-7 working days.

Once treatment is agreed, the international team coordinates the full logistics: scheduling, pre-operative assessment, anesthesia consultation, hotel accommodation near UKE (the clinic has established relationships with nearby hotels), airport transfers, and international health insurance coordination. Post-operative follow-up can be conducted remotely after the initial recovery period.

Hamburg Airport connects directly to major European cities, and Hamburg is accessible from London by frequent flights in under 2 hours. The UKE campus in Eppendorf is easily accessible by U-Bahn (subway) from Hamburg city center.

Martini-Klinik holds DKG (Deutsche Krebsgesellschaft) certification as a Prostate Cancer Centre (Prostatakrebszentrum), the standard quality certification for German cancer centers that demonstrates compliance with evidence-based treatment standards, multidisciplinary team working, and outcome monitoring. This certification is renewed through periodic on-site audits by the DKG.

The clinic also holds quality certification from the DGU (Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Urologie), the German Urological Society, for its prostatectomy program and outcome documentation systems. The clinic's ISO 9001 certification covers its quality management system.

Martini-Klinik's affiliation with UKE, one of Germany's leading university hospitals, provides academic oversight for its research and education programs. The clinic's continuous publication of outcome data in peer-reviewed journals, and its consistent involvement in clinical trials of new prostate cancer diagnostics and treatments, represent the most meaningful validation of its world-leading position. Independent analyses of internationally published prostatectomy outcome data have repeatedly confirmed Martini-Klinik's position at the top tier of global prostate cancer surgical centers.