Kirsten Lykke Wahlstrøm became a doctor at the University of Copenhagen in January 2013. She has been employed at surgical departments at Bispebjerg, Køge, Holbæk and Nykøbing Falster Hospital during her education in gastrointestinal surgery. Her interest and research in gastrointesti-nal surgery started during her medical studies and led in September 2018 to employment as a PhD student at the Center for Surgical Science at the Zealand University Hospital in Køge.
Optimizing the condition of patients prior to acute and subacute surgeries is the focus point of her research. It is tough on the body both physically and mentally to undergo surgery, and when pa-tients are acutely ill the body’s biological systems are out of balance before anesthesia and surgery even begins. If we can optimize the patients’ condition before surgery, bring the biological systems more in balance or prepare the body for the surgical stress that comes, we can probably reduce the complications that occur postoperative.
2018 – … Ph.d. student, Center for Surgical Science
2018 – … Resident, Surgical dept., Køge and Nykøbing Falster Hospital
2017-18 Resident, Surgical dept., Zealand University Hospital, Køge
2015-17 Resident, Surgical department, Bispebjerg Hospital
2014 Clinical Basic Education as MD, General practice
2013 Clinical Basic Education as M, Internal medicine, Hillerød hospital
2011-12 Locum, Surgical dept., Holbæk Hospital
2011-12 Chairman, International Medical Cooperation Committee (IMCC) Uland/Global
2010-11 Surgical assistant, Tumu district Hospital, UWR, Ghana
2010-11 District Health Officer, Sissala East, UWR, Ghana
2015 Authorization for medical practice
2013 MD (medicine), University of Copenhagen
A significant proportion of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery experience a serious cardiovascular complication in the form of a blood clot in the heart with a significant risk of death as a result. However, even minor heart damage is a significant problem with a markedly increased 30-day mortality after surgery, and there is currently no preventive treatment.
PUMAS: Remote ischemic preconditioning in patients undergoing minor abdominal surgery: a randomized clinical trial
Remote ischemic preconditioning, in which a blood pressure cuff briefly squeezes off the blood supply to the tissue in the arm, has been shown to reduce damage to organs and tissues during surgery, including damage to the heart muscle. In PUMAS, we investigate the mechanisms behind remote ischemic preconditioning in patients with acute gallbladder inflammation who require subacute surgery. Blood samples are taken for biomarkers and gene regulation, tissue biopsies are taken for myo-graph studies of the vessels of the omentum and the endothelial function in peripheral vessels is measured with endopath. The heart rate variation is measured over 24 hours with a mobile ECG device.
PIXIE Coagulation sub-study: The effect of remote ischemic preconditioning on fibrin formation and metabolism in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery: a randomized clinical trial
Remote ischemic preconditioning, in which a blood pressure cuff briefly squeezes off the blood supply to the tissue in the arm, has been shown to reduce damage to organs and tissues during surgery, including damage to the heart muscle. In PIXIE, we showed that remote ischemic preconditioning in patients with known cardiovascular comorbidity who had to undergo hip fracture surgery was able to reduce the risk of heart damage and myocardial infarction within 4 days after surgery. In the coagulation sub-study, we investigate whether the positive effect of remote ischemic preconditioning in PIXIE was due to changes in the central part of the coagulation system (thrombin generation, fibrinogen / fibrin turnover, tPa, PAI-1 and structure of the fibrin fibre).
2019 Zealand Surgical Forum
2014-19: Annual Meeting, Danish Surgical Society
2014: Annual Meeting, Danish Surgical Society, oral presentation: ”Serotonin, calcitonin and calcitonin-gene-related-peptide in acute pancreatitis”
- 2019: Sponsor correspondent, Society of Younger Danish Surgeons
- 2017-18: Board member and Sponsor correspondent, Society of Younger Danish Surgeons
- 2015-16: Occupational health and safety representative at surgical dept. Bispebjerg Hospital
- 2015-16: Staff representative at surgical dept. Bispebjerg Hospital
- 2015-16: Medical representative for work organization at surgical dept. Bispebjerg Hospital
- 2015-16: Administrator Simball Box, laparoscopic simulation, surgical dept. Bispebjerg Hospital
- 2011-12: Chairman, International Medical Cooperation Committee (IMCC) Uland/Global
- 2010: Board member Sissala Research Committee, UWR, Ghana
2019: Acute abdomen, Clinical basis education of residents, Nykøbing Falster Hospital
2018-2019: Organizer: weekly journal clubs at the surgical department, Køge Hospital
2018: Organizer and teaching: Abdominal wall closure ad modum Israelsson, Køge Hospital
2017-2018 Bed-side teaching in Clinical basis education of residents, Køge Hospital
2016: Organizer: ‘Interpretation of CT abdomen – for resident doctors’, Bispebjerg Hospital
2015-2016: Acute surgical conditions, for nurses in the surgical department, Bispebjerg Hospital
2011-2012: Teaching: Danida’s development programs and the Ghanaian health care system,
IMCCC Uland/Global
2021: PH.D. course, Surgical pathophysiology, University of Copenhagen, 2.3 ECTS
2021: PH.D. course, Basic statistics and the software R, University of Copenhagen, 11 ECTS
2019: PH.D. course, Research methodology, Center for Surgical Science, 5.3 ECTS
2019: PH.D. course, Responsible Conduct of Research, KU, 2 ECTS
- 2018: Acute Trauma Life Support
- 2018: The Davos course for gastrointestinal surgery, intermediate level
- 2013-17: Courses at Copenhagen Academy for Medical Education and Simulation: Gastroscopy, Surgical assistance, Anastomotic techniques, Laparoscopic techniques, Non-Technical Skills for Surgerons (NOTSS), extended course in cardiac arrest
- 2013: Course in patient communication and conflict management, University of Copenhagen
- 2009: Summer School in International Health, University of Copenhagen
- 2016: Course for staff representatives, The danish medical association
- 2015: Course in Occupational health and safety, the Danish Working Environment Authority
1. ”Serotonin, Calcitonin and Calcitonin-Gene-Related-Peptide in Acute Pancreatitis” Wahlstrøm KL, Novovic S, Ersbøll AK, Hasbak P, Jørgensen LN, Berner Hansen M. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2017 Oct;52(10):1140-1147.
2. ”Treatment Of Chronic Anal fissure (TOCA): a Randomized Clinical trial on Diltiazem gel versus Myoxinol/Carboxymethyl glucan emulgel (NCT02158013)” Nordholm-Carstensen A, Perregaard H, Wahlstrøm KL, Hagen K, Hougaard HT and Krarup PM. International Journal of Colorectal Disease, 2020 Jan, 35(4):615-621.
3. ”The risk of post‐operative myocardial injury after major emergency abdominal surgery: A retrospective cohort study” Ekeloef S, Bjerum E, Kristiansen P, Wahlstrøm KL, Burcharth J, Gögenur I. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 2020 May, 64(8): 1073-1081.
4. “Postoperative atrial fibrillation following emergency noncardiothoracic surgery: a sys-tematic review” Bjerrum E, Wahlstrøm KL, Gögenur I, Burcharth J, Eekeloef S. European Journal of Anaesthesiology, 2020 Aug;37(8):671-679.
5. “Effect of remote ischemic preconditioning on mortality and morbidity after non-cardiac surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis” Wahlstrøm KL, Bjerrum E, Gögenur I, Burcharth J, Ekeloef S. BJS Open, accepted September 2020
6. “The effect of remote ischaemic preconditioning on fibrin formation and metabolism in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery: a randomised clinical trial” Wahlstrøm KL, Ekeloef S, Sidelmann J, Gögenur I, Münster AM. Submitted 2021, under review.
Information Video
Watch a video on what it means to become a Master student in Medicine at the Zealand University Hospital. (In Danish)
LAST UPDATE: FEB 2021