About Us

Left: Tariq Abu-Naaj; right: Dr. med. Roland Kuster

Thorax Switzerland: together in search of clarity and support

The driving forces behind Thorax Switzerland are Dr. med. Roland Kuster and Tariq Abu-Naaj. With decades of experience in thoracic surgery, Dr. Kuster moved into medical management after a serious accident. Tariq Abu-Naaj, owner of Medical Brand, is involved in marketing for hospitals and medical professionals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. He is particularly committed to ensuring that clinics take the perspective of patients into account in an exceptional and comprehensive way.

In a field that is unclear to many people—especially when it comes to thoracic medicine, where diagnoses are often serious and life-changing—the two have set themselves the goal of speaking with specialists across Switzerland in all areas of thoracic medicine. The aim: to create clarity and address the issues that truly matter to patients and their relatives.

Dr. med. Roland Kuster on the road for Thorax Switzerland

Thorax Switzerland is a long-term project that is expanded each month with additional contributions. Every question they receive is thoroughly examined by Dr. Kuster and Abu-Naaj in order to find satisfactory answers. They rely on blog posts as well as podcast interviews. The project is accompanied by a monthly newsletter that offers special topics for newsletter subscribers.

The Hirslanden Group, a private hospital group of Hirslanden AG in Switzerland with 17 clinics in 10 cantons and more than 3,000 attending physicians, supports the Thorax Switzerland project. This provides access to a unique network of resources and experts that leaves no questions unanswered. In addition, specialists from other clinics are warmly invited to participate in the project.

For Dr. Kuster and Abu-Naaj, the journey with Thorax Switzerland is a compelling search for answers to questions from patients and their relatives, in order to support them as effectively as possible. A journey they are looking forward to—one that helps shed more light on the often opaque field of thoracic medicine.

Additional experts expand the Thorax Switzerland network. In this section, we introduce an extended group of professionals who offer a broader perspective on thoracic medicine.

In addition to core topics such as lung cancer, COPD, sleep apnea, and asthma, further specialist areas are included. Experts from palliative care, spiritual care, oncological rehabilitation, as well as leaders of associations and self-help groups, share their knowledge and experience.

Our mission is to provide you not only with medical information but also with supportive resources for all aspects of your health journey.

We expand our network every month to ensure that you have access to the latest findings and a comprehensive range of expertise.

Discover the diverse world of thoracic medicine and be inspired by the valuable perspectives of our additional experts at Thorax Switzerland!

Thoracic medicine, a fascinating and multifaceted field, is comprehensively represented by the wide range of specialties within our medical team at Thorax Schweiz.

From lung cancer and COPD to sleep apnoea and asthma, our female experts cover a broad spectrum. Their different specialisations enable a holistic view of the challenges and solutions in the field of lung diseases. This diversity makes our medical team a valuable companion on your path to a healthy lifestyle. In addition, we expand our team of female experts every month to ensure that you always benefit from up-to-date and diverse medical expertise.

Discover the extensive expertise and support offered by our continuously growing group of specialist medical staff.

Prof. Dr. med. Othmar Schöb
_{Specialist in surgery, with a focus on thoracic and visceral surgery}

Core competencies

Visceral surgery (surgery of the abdominal organs)

Major tumour surgery of the oesophagus, liver, pancreas, stomach, intestine, peritoneum and ovaries. Modern intraoperative cancer treatment of the abdominal cavity with hyperthermia and chemotherapy
(HIPEC and PIPAC)

Minimally invasive surgery and robot-assisted procedures

Gallstones
Diverticulitis
Colon cancer
Inguinal hernia
Hernia surgery
Reflux disease
Surgery for obesity (bariatric surgery)

Thoracic surgery (surgery of the lungs and thoracic organs)

Your contact for Prof. Dr. med. Othmar Schöb

Surgical Centre Zurich
Witellikerstrasse 40
8032 Zurich
CH
Telephone +41 44 387 37 00
www.chirurgischeszentrum.ch

Doctor direct
Telephone +41 44 387 29 66
Fax +41 44 387 29 69
Email os@professorschoeb.ch

Prof. Dr. med. Ulf Petrausch
_{Specialist in medical oncology, general internal medicine, allergology and clinical immunology}

Core competencies

Oncology

Assessment and treatment of malignant neoplasms (tumours), in particular tumours of the prostate, kidney and urinary tract.

Immunology

Use and development of novel immunological tumour therapies

Thoracic surgery (surgery of the lungs and thoracic organs)

Assessment and treatment of diseases of the blood and immune system

Lymphomas

Including high-dose chemotherapy with autologous blood stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and CAR T-cell therapy

Your contact for Prof. Dr. med. Ulf Petrausch

OnkoZentrum Zurich
Seestrasse 259
8038 Zurich
CH
Telephone +41 43 344 33 33
Fax +41 43 344 33 44
Email enge@ozh.ch
www.ozh.ch

Doctor direct
Email ulf.petrausch@ozh.ch

Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Jan Kocher, MBA

Core competencies

Full spectrum of thoracic surgery with specialised expertise in minimally invasive surgical procedures, including robot-assisted techniques

Treatment of all intrathoracic pathologies, with the exception of cardiac surgical procedures

Minimally invasive procedures for lung tumours (e.g. lung cancer), tumours of the mediastinum (e.g. thymoma, cysts, schwannomas) and the pleura (malignant pleural mesothelioma, pleural effusion, pleural empyema, pneumothorax), as well as minimally invasive correction of chest wall deformities using a pectus bar (for funnel chest/pectus carinatum)

Surgical treatment of tracheal pathologies as well as thoracoscopic sympathectomy for erythrophobia and hyperhidrosis

Your contact for Prof. Dr. med. Gregor Jan Kocher

Bern Thoracic Surgery
Haus von Rodt
Schänzlihalde 1
3013 Bern
CH

Telephone +41 31 335 78 01
Fax +41 31 335 78 02
www.bernerthoraxchirurgie.ch

Doctor direct
gregor.kocher@hirslanden.ch
www.kocher-thoraxchirurgie.ch

Dr. med. Esther Bertschi
_{Specialist in medical oncology and general internal medicine}

Core competencies

Treatment of all tumour diseases, outpatient and inpatient

Your contact for Dr. med. Esther Bertschi

Effingerstrasse 16
3008 Bern
CH
Telephone +41 31 301 89 26
Fax +41 31 301 89 27
www.onko-hirslanden-bern.ch

Doctor direct
esther.baertschi@hin.ch

Dr. med. Dr. phil. Jonas Klöpper
_{Specialist in medical oncology}

Core competencies

Within medical oncology, I specialise in the treatment and follow-up care of patients diagnosed with a lung tumour, brain tumour or melanoma.

Your contact for Dr. med. Dr. phil. Jonas Klöpper

Clinic for Haematology & Oncology Hirslanden Zurich
Hirslanden Clinic
Witellikerstrasse 40
8032 Zurich
CH
Telephone +41 44 387 37 80
Fax +41 44 387 22 75
Email kho@hin.ch

Doctor direct
jonas.kloepper@kho.ch