New specialty from October 1 at the Sports Clinic
Dr. Oliver Meier's specialty is the spine. Whether deformations, curvatures or age-related changes due to wear and tear - the head physician for special spine surgery comes into play when higher-grade instabilities are present and there is no other treatment option than surgery.
While head physician Dr. Stefan Nolte performs non-surgical treatments with Conservative Orthopedics and head physician Dieter Henigin treats herniated discs and operates on lighter signs of wear and tear, the Sports Clinic has had to refer very complex cases elsewhere. For example, to the spine specialist clinic in Bad Wildungen, where Dr. Oliver Meier previously worked. With his move to Hellersen, the team of the Sports Clinic in the area of back health will now be supplemented by another area, because more complex operations will also be possible on site in the future. Among other things, Dr. Meier treats vertebral body fractures as well as deformities and performs corrective surgery on spinal statics.
"This was previously lacking at the sports clinic. With this addition to the previous spectrum, we can now offer a complex unit around the spine," reports Dr. Meier. But he also supports the philosophy of his sports clinic colleagues: surgery should be performed as early as necessary, but as late as possible - namely, only when all other therapeutic options have been ruled out.
Award as Focus Top Physician
"It was actually by chance that I specialized in spine. My boss at the time in Mülheim had suggested that I apply to Bad Wildungen. It was there that I realized how exciting this specialty is," Dr. Meier reports.
In 30 years, the chief physician has treated a large number of people - including patients from abroad and even celebrities from sports and politics. DKV also places great value on his experience and sends many patients in the "Best Care" program to him for a second opinion. "We naturally offer all patients a second opinion," says Dr. Oliver Meier. He has been listed in the Focus Top Physicians list for spine surgery 13 times in a row in recent years.
Returning to Hellersen
The sports clinic is not completely new territory for the Düsseldorf native. "I've known Hellersen since I was a teenager. I played handball back then and a friend from my team had surgery here. We visited him together," the 59-year-old says. "I have the impression that in the sports clinic the well-being of the patients is paramount and I think that's very good," he says, explaining why he decided to move to Lüdenscheid. The previous collaboration with Dr. Stefan Nolte was also a factor. Through referrals to Bad Wildungen, the two got to know each other through their patients and a friendship developed from the collaboration.
Today, the head physician no longer plays handball, but sports are still important to him, which is why he visits the gym several times a week. He also works on classic cars and old motorcycles. Sometimes, he says, it's a bit like operating.
When Dr. Oliver Meier starts work, he brings his senior physician from Bad Wildungen with him, Liang Zhou. The two doctors have been working together for five years. "It's always been a good working atmosphere," says the senior physician. And although the latter only bought a house in Bad Wildungen with his family two years ago, he accepted just a few hours after Dr. Meier asked him if he would come to Lüdenscheid with him.
Personal details
Since 2007, Dr. Oliver Meier has been head physician at the Center for Spinal Surgery at the Werner Wicker Clinic in Bad Wildungen-Reinhardshausen, and before that he was senior physician at the clinic for eleven years. A native of Düsseldorf, the 59-year-old began his career as an assistant physician nearby at the Evangelical Hospital in Mülheim an der Ruhr. In 1991, he went to the Center for Spine Surgery in Bad Wildungen for three years before completing his residency as an orthopedic surgeon in Hamburg. In 1996, he returned to Bad Wildungen as a senior physician, where he became a specialist in orthopedics and trauma surgery in 2006; a year later, he became chief physician. Over the years, he gained additional qualifications in sports medicine, physical therapy and special pain therapy.
Press contact
Sarah Burghaus
Head of Marketing, Corporate Communication & PR, Press Spokesperson
sarah.burghaus@hellersen.de
Marie Schulz
Public Relations
marie.schulz@hellersen.de
