Public Relations
In order to inform the public about the importance of surgery and the work of the foundation, and to promote interest in surgery, the Deutsche Chirurgiestiftung supports this through events, publications and other activities. The aim is to create transparency, strengthen confidence in medical care and promote interest in surgery.
G.O.B.S.A.T.
A crime novel by Jochen Erhardd
Harry Caruso, a middle-aged detective, is transferred after a dramatic undercover operation. The circumstances surrounding the failure of the operation remain unclear at first. At his new workplace, the homicide division of the Madison, Wisconsin Police Department, Harry is confronted with the death of a businessman who wore a pacemaker. The case is initially shelved until further unexplained deaths raise suspicions about an organisation working with clinics where these patients were treated. The mastermind appears to be a certain Tom McCain, who directs operations from Madison with other unscrupulous men from high society. But Tom McCain also meets his match in lawyer Art Meyers. Meyers, himself the head of a criminal organisation, outbids McCain and begins a deadly pursuit of the members of GOBSAT. Harry Caruso finds himself caught between the fronts in his investigations. It seems as if he is always one step too late. GOBSAT means that older, experienced men (Good Old Boys Sitting Around The Table) gather around a table to discuss and solve problems. Read this novel to find out what happens when these men are criminal and unscrupulous.
This highly topical novel offers fascinating insights into the life-saving possibilities of internet-based control systems in modern medicine, while at the same time highlighting the risks associated with scientific progress, which here lead into the abyss of the perfidious and cynical business model of the criminal organisation GOBSAT. With his knowledge and expertise in medicine, the author vividly illustrates the dangers we expose ourselves to when internet-based systems are not adequately protected, allowing external access and thus enabling abuse and blackmail. With his multi-perspective narrative style, the author succeeds in maintaining a high level of suspense and, through his protagonists, introduces the reader to ever new worlds. It is probably only a matter of time before this exciting novel is adapted into a series and can be seen on Netflix and other streaming platforms. Martin Eigler
Jochen Erhard
Jochen Erhard, born in 1952, lives in Voerde on the Lower Rhine. He worked as a chief physician in surgery for more than two decades. In 1985, he received his doctorate from the University of Essen, where he later also habilitated and taught medicine. This was followed by professional stays in the USA and England. In addition to scientific publications, he writes short stories and now his first crime novel.
G.O.B.S.A.T.
- Crime novels and thrillersr
- Paperback
- ISBN-13: 9783754304976
- Publisher: Books on Demand
- Publication date: 18.05.2022
- Language: German
The Power of Single-Celled Organisms
Digital exhibition by Prof. Dr. Bünte
Foreword to the exhibition
The German Surgery Foundation is hosting an exhibition of images by Prof. Dr. H. Bünte, emeritus professor of surgery. The title of the exhibition is ‘The Power of Single-Celled Organisms’. The Deutsche Chirurgiestiftung (DCS) was founded with the aim of ensuring that the traditionally high quality of comprehensive surgical care in Germany can continue to be guaranteed in the future through measures in training, research and professional practice. The DCS pursues several initiatives relating to professional practice, training and research in surgery and related professions. One of the DCS's goals is to promote practice-oriented medicine and application-oriented research that is geared to the needs of the population. The initiative to promote young talent in surgery consists of internationally renowned surgeons holding special surgical courses for young surgeons in training as part of the DCS qualification programme, supporting them in deepening their knowledge and skills. Figures from a study by the German Medical Association show how critical the future of German surgery is. In 2008, approximately 14 million operations were performed throughout Germany. There has been an annual increase of approximately 5% in the number of operations, which is largely due to the steadily ageing population. In 2008, around 26% of German citizens were aged 60 and over. In contrast, only 5% of all medical graduates want to become surgeons. This means a shortage of approximately 600 surgeons per year. In 2009, around 5,000 medical positions in hospitals could not be filled. In 2017, there was a shortage of around 17,000 doctors in German hospitals. According to an economic analysis by PricewaterhouseCoopers (‘112 – and no one is helping’), one in four surgical positions will remain unfilled in 2030 due to a lack of young talent and retirements. According to this study, a baseline scenario predicts that there will be a shortage of 33,000 doctors by 2020 and 76,000 by 2030. In this context, the Competence Centre for Law, Psychology and Medicine was established under the patronage of Bavarian Minister of Justice Prof. Bausbach. The initiative to establish the Competence Centre for Law, Psychology and Medicine stems from the fact that further measures for the much-called-for improvement in the quality of expert opinions in the legal system are being strategically implemented by this institution acting as a central point of contact for information, advice and service.
Acknowledgement and greetings
Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr.h.c. U.Joos
Prof. Bünte in conversation
1. How did you come up with the idea of visualising the microscopic world in your own unique way?
‘Life is cell function. Surgery is the separation and suturing of cells.’
2. Is there a historical figure who inspired you?
Surgeon Prof. Bünte, who describes himself as a ‘hobby artist’, was influenced by a wide variety of
personalities during his years of training. ‘The anatomist Karl Friedrich Bauer fascinated me with his
artistic representations of anatomy during his lectures on three blackboards simultaneously. Lasting
impressions for a lifetime. The famous physiologist Otto F. Ranke, discoverer of the physiological
visual impairment in night pilots, impressed me with his crystal-clear representations of sensory
physiology.’
3. What design tools do you use and which technique do you prefer?
‘I am a self-taught hobby artist. Mainly hand drawings and watercolours (a total of approx. 1000
pictures).’
4. What particularly fascinates you about the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer?
‘The symbiosis of reality and sensitivity, which is particularly evident in the portrait of his mother
from 1514.’
5. If you could ask Dürer one question, what would it be?
Prof. Dr. Herrmann Bünte (portrait)
Prof. Dr. Hermann Bünte
Prof. Bünte strongly supported the emerging demand for specialisation within the field of surgery at the time. This led to the creation of separate chairs for trauma and hand surgery, anaesthesiology and operative intensive care medicine, urology, neurosurgery and paediatric surgery. Prof. Bünte developed numerous new surgical methods and optimised conventional procedures, thus paving the way for modern function-preserving surgery.
The power of single-celled organisms: Images by Prof. Dr. H. Bünte between artistic design and medical science
The Deutsche Chirurgie Stiftung is hosting an exhibition by Prof. Dr. H. Bünte, professor emeritus of surgery, who, as a leading representative and teacher in his field, combines science and art in his visual representations. He uses these to visualise and communicate scientific findings. In doing so, Prof. Bünte follows in the tradition of important scientists and artists of past eras. The title of the exhibition is ‘The Power of Single-Cell Organisms’. The colour illustrations and watercolours on display here span the spectrum of single-cell life from the primordial form of life (probionts) to the complexly structured cells of the human organism. The exhibition also illustrates the diverse effects of single-celled life forms, which on the one hand can cause terrible diseases, but on the other hand can be utilised in many areas of human life, such as food production, medicine, pharmacy, ecology, biotechnology and waste disposal. In Prof. Bünte's paintings, his amazement and awe of life are made present and comprehensible to the viewer through reflection and representation of evolution. With his paintings, Prof. Bünte illustrates the incomprehensible diversity and richness of life. His original style of representation, which is personal and handmade, sets his paintings apart from the predominantly professional, interchangeable smoothness of medical imagery.
