Annual report 2024

First patient receives radiotherapy with innovative ‘RAD’ technique

4 December 2024

Last week UZ Leuven used the brand new RAD-technique to irradiate a patient with breast cancer. RAD combines the advantages of two existing radiation techniques. This further protects the healthy tissue surrounding the tumour and reduces the treatment time.

Single-arm surgical robot offers new possibilities for transoral surgery

26 November 2024

With an investment in 4 new surgical robots, including an innovatieve single-arm robot, UZ Leuven is fully embracing robotic surgery. As a university hospital and largest training centre, UZ Leuven will extend the latest robotic technologies to just about all surgical disciplines.

UZ Leuven prosa team celebrates 10 years of tailored care for children

18 November 2024

For ten years, the prosa team at UZ Leuven has been ready to relieve children's anxiety and pain, both before and during medical procedures. Their approach to fear and pain in our children's hospital is unique for Belgium.

Newest mini pacemakers suitable for more than 80 per cent of patients

18 October 2024

Leuven cardiologists have for the first time implanted a new type of mini pacemaker applicable for almost anyone who needs a pacemaker.

UZ Leuven and KU Leuven invest 14 million euros in new cell and gene therapy facility

8 October 2024

UZ Leuven and KU Leuven are establishing an innovative facility for the production of Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMPs) on the Gasthuisberg Campus. At this facility, they want to develop pioneering therapies themselves from the end of 2025 and produce personalised treatments for individual patients

Successful first edition of Belgian Transplantoux Games in Leuven

26 September 2024

On 21 and 22 September, Transplantoux organised the very first edition of the Belgian Transplantoux Games in Leuven. The sporting event brought together transplant and dialysis patients, donors and sympathisers under the ‘healthy living and excercising after a transplant’ motto. Some 400 sportsmen and women competed for medals in more than 10 disciplines.

Nursing support can improve quality of life for skin lymphoma patients

16 September 2024

An UZ Leuven study shows that patient-centred, nurse-centred consultation can greatly improve the quality of life of people with skin lymphomas. It also showed that, thanks to personalised follow-up, fewer readmissions were needed on average.

New storage method for donor hearts surpasses traditional storage on ice

5 September 2024

A UZ Leuven study shows the benefits of machine perfusion for longer and safer storage of donor hearts pending transplantation.

New warehouse makes hospital pharmacy future-proof

8 August 2024

In June the UZ Leuven hospital pharmacy got a brand-new warehouse, which is high-tech and future-oriented, including a lot of robotics. In a few years's time it will be further expanded to include a central compounding pharmacy, which will play a major role within the regional Plexus hospital network.

Radioligand therapy is gaining momentum

19 June 2024

UZ Leuven uses radioligand therapy for metastatic neuroendocrine tumours and in patients with advanced prostate cancer who were no longer experiencing any effect from conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

First results gene therapy for frontotemporal degeneration are promising

14 May 2024

UZ Leuven has been collaborating on an internationl clinical study on gene replacement in FTD with progranulin mutation.

New treatment successful for therapy-resistant ovarian cancer

4 April 2024

An international study led by UZ Leuven shows that ovarian cancer patients that are treated with an antibody in combination with chemotherapy survive longer than after a treatment with classic chemotherapy. This finding is a big step in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

UZ Leuven and CHU Luik to become external breast milk bank

19 March 2024

Belgium is getting two external breast milk banks: one at UZ Leuven and one at CHU Luik. These donor banks will not only help premature babies on their way in their own hospital, but also to provide other hospitals in Flanders and Wallonia with breast milk in future.

UZ Leuven best Belgian hospital in top 20 in Europe according to Newsweek ranking

5 March 2024

For the sixth year in a row, the American magazine Newsweek and the data platform Statista drew up a list of the world's best hospitals: World's Best Hospitals 2024. In it, UZ Leuven is the first Belgian hospital in position 44, achieving a top score of 93.17%.

‘Mini lungs’ from amniotic fluid cells predict the success of lung surgery in foetus

4 March 2024

Researchers from London and Leuven were able to make organoids from amniotic fluid for the first time. This allows them to predict how the organs if an unborn baby will react right after being born. Organoïds are threedimensional ‘mini-organs’ in a culture dish, mimic the structure and function of the organs from which they originate. UZ Leuven wants to use this technique in future to better predict how the lungs of an unborn baby will react to a surgical procedure in the uterus.