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Prof. Dr. med. Markus Loibl, Consultant in Spinal Surgery, is taking over as Chair of the Scientific Board at Schulthess Klinik. In this interview, he explains how patients’ experiences drive research forward, what long-term treatment data enables, and what priorities he intends to set as the new Chair.

The Schulthess Clinic has reaffirmed its leading international position: in the latest ‘World’s Best Specialised Hospitals 2027’ ranking by Newsweek and Statista, the clinic has once again been ranked number 1 in Switzerland and number 2 in Europe.

With effect from 1 October 2026, Prof. Dr med. univ. Philipp Moroder will take up the post of Head of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, succeeding Prof. Dr med. Markus Scheibel, who has led the departement since 2018.

The Schulthess Clinic has reaffirmed its leading international position: in the latest ‘World’s Best Specialised Hospitals 2027’ ranking by Newsweek and Statista, the clinic has once again been ranked number 1 in Switzerland and number 2 in Europe.

How well does the hand function again in everyday life following treatment? That is precisely what interests us at the Schulthess Klinik. A new study now shows that significantly fewer questions are needed than before to assess this reliably. This makes patient surveys easier and, at the same time, helps to further improve treatments.

The Schulthess Klinik has been recognised by Statista and Newsweek as one of the «World's Greenest Hospitals 2026». It is one of 250 hospitals worldwide that have been awarded this label in recognition of their commitment to sustainability.

How can we determine whether spinal surgery has truly been successful? Not just from the perspective of the treatment team, but from the patients’ perspective? A patient questionnaire was developed at the Schulthess Klinik precisely for this purpose. For two decades, the so-called COMI-back has been helping to reveal how patients are really faring after surgery on the lumbar spine.

With effect from 1. September 2026, Prof. Dr. Christian Egloff will take up the post of Head of Knee Surgery, succeeding Dr. Stefan Preiss, who has led the Knee Surgery department since 2008.

The more an artificial intelligence learns, the better it can support doctors. To do this, it requires large amounts of data. But how can this be reconciled with the protection of sensitive patient data? A study led by the Schulthess Clinic shows how several hospitals can train AI models together without exchanging sensitive data. 

It is often difficult to detect a wound infection early on following spinal surgery. Researchers at the Schulthess Klinik and the AO Research Institute Davos have now discovered characteristic changes in the immune system that indicate an infection at an early stage. These findings will help to better identify wound infections following surgery and thus avoid unnecessary follow-up procedures.