News

Little Nirvana: gaming technology distracts children during stressful or painful procedures

3 January 2024

The European research project Little Nirvana, with the support of both KU Leuven and UZ Leuven, examines how gaming technology can distract children that have to undergo painful procedures. Little Nirvana has since been successfully tested in more than 100 patients, including at UZ Leuven.

Leuven surgeons transplant four organs during one procedure in a toddler

20 December 2023

A team of UZ Leuven doctors has recently replaced all abdominal organs in a toddler for the first time in Belgium: stomach, liver, pancreas as well as the small intestine were transplanted in one procedure. The young patient was successfully operated on and is doing well.

Extended reimbursement of cochlear implants for children

11 December 2023

As of 1 January 2024, the reimbursement of cochlear implants for children and youngsters with severe loss of hearing or deafness will be extended. As part of that decision, Minister for Social Affairs and Public Health Frank Vandenbroucke paid UZ Leuven a visit.

UZ Leuven helps build a climate-neutral Leuven

30 November 2023

A week ago, UZ Leuven signed the first Leuven Climate Contract: 10 pioneering guiding principles, more than 30 partners, 86 break-through projects met actual commitments and a financial strategy, brought together to accelerate Leuven's readiness for climate neutrality by 2030.

UZ Leuven recognised as the first forensic medical institute in our country

23 November 2023

The federal department of justice has recognised the UZ Leuven department of forensic medicine as the first forensic medical institute (FMI) of our country. The additional financial support and the recognition as a centre of expertise are a big leap forward for forensic medicine in Belgium.

UZ Leuven to be reference hospital for AYA care

13 November 2023

UZ Leuven is set to become one of the six reference hospitals for AYA care, and that is good news: as of 1 December 2023, the new agreement with NIHDI will ensure that we will be able to provide even better age-specific care and support to adolescents and young adults with cancer.

Immunotherapy during pregnancy requires careful follow-up of the child

9 November 2023

A remarkable study describes the first known case of a baby that developed serious side effects after the mother received immunotherapy during pregnancy. Doctors stress that the choice for immunotherapy in pregnant women needs to be carefully considered and that babies need close and long-term follow-up after birth.

Coloured arrows at the Gasthuisberg campus make way for modern street plan

26 October 2023

Anyone coming to the UZ Leuven Gasthuisberg campus after Monday 30 October, will no longer be following the iconic coloured arrows. In its place you will find your way via clear and future-proof signage, based on streets and addresses.

More organ-sparing surgery in penile cancer thanks to centralised care

5 October 2023

Penile cancer is an extremely rare and aggressive type of cancer. Thanks to the self-initiated centralisation of medical care for penile cancer in Belgium, more men with the condition can now keep a larger functional part of their penis than before, without more complications.

PET scan can predict complications in vascular disease

3 October 2023

UZ Leuven researchers have shown that a PET scan can be a useful tool to predict the course of the vascular disease giant cell arteritis (GCA). Patients in whom the blood vessels absorb a lot of fluorodeoxy-glucose (FDG) during the scan, seem to have a bigger risk of developing an aortic-aneurysm.

Research team studies possibilities of proton therapy for pregnant women with cancer

28 September 2023

Over the coming years, UZ Leuven, KU Leuven and SCK CEN (study centre for nuclear energy) will be researching whether pregnant women with cancer can be irradiated after all. It has received a 500,000 euro grant from the Stichting tegen Kanker to study this.

First week without IV feed on intensive care results in better blood glucose control

28 September 2023

A large comparative study confirms it is not a good idea to start IV feed too quickly to patients during their first week on intensive care. The need to adjust blood glucose levels with an insuline pump appears less big when patients did not receive IF feed early on.