NTT Medical Center Tokyo provides community-based medical treatment.
We closely cooperate with the community as a regional core medical center.
Our staff members also closely cooperate to provide team treatment.
Our strengths such as early detection of cancer, minimally-invasive treatment,
and emergency treatment enable us to link with our patients,
and we aim to link with people all over the world in the future.
As cancer treatment continues to evolve,
NTT Medical Center Tokyo offers cancer treatment by emphasizing early detection of cancer and minimally-invasive treatment.
We also support our patients by providing well coordinated rehabilitation to encourage return to normal daily activities after treatment.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo adopts various treatment methods for removing tumors with minimal invasion.
<Example>
- Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD)
- Performed for gastrointestinal cancer. Uses an endoscope to excise early cancer without the need for laparotomy.
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
- Performed for liver cancer, etc. Inserts an electrode into the lesion to necrotize the cancer with thermocoagulation by electromagnetic waves, without the need for laparotomy.
- Robotic surgical assistance (da Vinci)
- Performed for prostate cancer, etc. Promises reduced bleeding, postoperative pain, and sequela compared to conventional laparotomy.
- Robotic arm assisted surgery (MAKO system)
- Mako is robotic arm assisted surgery that is an innovative tool for orthopedic surgeries including hip replacements, knee replacements and partial knee replacements, and are typically used for the treatmens of osteoarthritis of the knee and the hip joints. The technology allows the surgeons to achieve the improved accuracy of the surgery.
- Gamma knife treatment
- Radiotherapy for brain tumors, etc. Necrotizes the cancer by exposing the lesion to focused radiation (gamma rays) controlled by a computer, without the need for craniotomy.
In 2003 our hospital was appointed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare as designated regional cancer hospital. The designation is renewed every 4 years, with the last time being April 2023. The advanced designated regional cancer hospital appointing is valid from the April 1st, 2023, to March 31st, 2026.
The early detection of cancer requires more than just high-performance testing equipment. It also requires techniques for providing accurate measurement results under any conditions and the ability to accurately determine whether cancer exists from ultrasonic examinations and image data for CT scans, etc., as well as a tissue preparation collected from the patient. NTT Medical Center Tokyo has medical specialists from various fields, including clinical pathology, we strive to achieve early cancer detection.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo performs endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of early gastrointestinal cancer (cancer of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum, and large intestine). Since ESD enables a tumor to be excised without the need for laparotomy, it promises reduced sequela and patient burden, and many patients therefore desire ESD treatment. Increasing numbers of doctors visit us to learn about ESD technology, and as of May 2023 we performed ESD in 1009 cases with a 16-doctor system. We also actively work on ESD for duodenum cancer, which was difficult to treat with endoscopy. Our entire team makes continuous efforts to reduce the ESD treatment time as much as possible. I believe that not only does this reduce the burden on the patient, but it also enables us to treat as many patients as possible in the limited time available to us.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo adopted the "da Vinci" surgical assistance robot in 2016. We mainly use it to treat prostate cancer, of which we treated 161 cases in 2022. Performing surgery with robots promises reduced bleeding and pain after surgery compared to regular surgery, as well as reducing the risk of sequela (such as incontinence and impotence) after surgery. We aim to not only treat cancer with surgery using da Vinci, but also enable patients to return to their normal lives after treatment.
Gamma knife treatment is a type of radiotherapy that exposes the brain tumor or vascular malformation to focused radiation (gamma rays) controlled by a computer, without the need for craniotomy. Conventional craniotomy surgery places a great physical burden on the patient and is unable to treat some areas, but gamma knife treatment overcomes such problems and makes treatment possible. Metastatic brain tumors, which are said to affect 10% of cancer patients, dramatically decrease the patient's quality of life by causing convulsions, paralysis, and problems with memory and emotions. Although treating metastatic brain tumors does not necessarily lead to complete recovery, I believe that it is very important from the perspective of enabling patients to enjoy their remaining time as much as possible.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a method for treating liver cancer by inserting an electrode into the abdomen and using the heat of high-frequency radio waves to coagulate/necrotize the lesion, without the need for laparotomy. NTT Medical Center Tokyo adopted RFA in 2006, and it was used in 249cases in 2022. In cases where RFA treatment is normally thought to be difficult, if the patient is determined to have no other treatment options, we will perform it RFA with the consent of the patient and strive to improve the prognosis. We also spare no effort to enable swift patient acceptance.
With acute diseases such as a cerebral stroke or cardiac infarction,
it is said that the shorter the time between pathogenesis and treatment, the higher the survival rate and the fewer the sequela.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo provides a 24-hour emergency support system to treat these diseases in the acute stage.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo opened its Stroke Unit in 2005 to provide emergency treatment of cerebral strokes in the acute stage.
We maintain a system that ensures empty beds so that cerebral stroke patients that need emergency treatment can be received at any time.
Our Stroke Unit has three main features.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo opened a cerebrovascular medicine division in April, 2017. Our cerebrovascular medicine division links with our neurosurgery division to provide 24-hour emergency treatment, including emergency intravenous administration of tPA in the acute stage of cerebral infarction and cerebral embolism extirpation using a catheter for severe cerebral infarction.
We form teams that include nurses, therapists, and social workers in addition to doctors from the neurosurgery, cerebrovascular medicine, rehabilitation service, and radiation therapy divisions, to provide comprehensive support for patients that includes not only treatment but also rehabilitation and early reintegration into society.
It is important to start rehabilitation for a cerebral stroke in parallel with treatment, from the acute stage, which starts soon after pathogenesis, and thereby to enable patients to quickly reintegrate back into society. NTT Medical Center Tokyo has resident doctors in the rehabilitation service division that are separate from the doctors in charge of cerebral infarction treatment. 26 physical therapists, 15 occupational therapists, and 7 speech therapists actively provide rehabilitation from the acute stage (numbers of therapists are current as of May 2023).
Our cerebrovascular medicine and neurosurgery divisions cooperate
to select the most suitable treatment method for the condition of each patient.
- Surgical treatment
- ○Cerebral aneurysm clipping ○Cerebrovascular bypass surgery ○Carotid endarterectomy (CEA)
- Medical treatment
- ○Thrombolytic therapy with intravenous administration of tPA ○Cerebral embolism extirpation using a catheter
○Carotid artery stenting (CAS)
Acute stage treatment of cardiac infarction includes stenting using a catheter, which is performed by the cardiology division, and vascular bypass surgery performed by the cardiovascular surgery division. Our cardiology and cardiovascular surgery divisions closely cooperate to select and provide the most suitable treatment method for the condition of each patient. We also focus on cardiac rehabilitation after acute stage treatment, and doctors and therapists at our rehabilitation service division work to provide patients with reintegration back into society early.
At NTT Medical Center Tokyo, 14 doctors are divided into three teams to enable multiple doctors to oversee the same patient. This allows us to provide high quality treatment to all our patients and to minimize the risk of medical accidents. We also hold daily conference by the team to share the details of their patients` condition with other doctors. It is worth noting that in many other medical facilities in Japan, it is not uncommon for one doctor to oversee one patient.
The system allows our doctors to promptly offer appropriate treatment in the event when the patient`s condition suddenly deteriorates. Furthermore, we also provide high-precision catheter treatment by a team of medical specialists comprised of 3 certified catheter treatment physicians and the medical advisor of the Japanese Association of Cardiovascular Intervention and Therapeutics.
(As of May 2023)
NTT Medical Center Tokyo has adopted OCT (a new vascular imaging diagnosis system using near infrared radiation) to enable more detailed observation of blood vessels affected by disease than conventional IVUS (a vascular imaging diagnosis system using ultrasound). This enhances the quality of acute stage treatment for cardiac infarction, while also allowing the patient's condition to be checked with high precision after treatment.
Cardiac infarction is a serious disease that can lead to death if left untreated, but the rate of death can be dramatically decreased by starting treatment early at a medical institution. NTT Medical Center Tokyo has eight dedicated beds (CCU) for treating cardiac infarction and CCU network links with medical institutions in neighboring areas to provide smooth acceptance of patients that develop cardiac infarction and enable treatment to be started early.
(As of May 2023)
The treatment of cerebral strokes in the acute stage now often involves medical treatment first, but if that treatment is insufficient, we must also consider switching to surgical treatment. That is why close cooperation between the cerebrovascular medicine and neurosurgery divisions is very important for treating strokes. At NTT Medical Center Tokyo, neurosurgeons are always on standby to provide surgery for patients that require it. We also focus on treatment for preventing strokes in addition to acute stage treatment, and we proactively perform cerebral aneurysm clipping of unruptured cerebral aneurysms using a microscope. Our neurosurgery division performed 405 cases of surgery in 2022(including brain tumor surgery) and provides daily medical care while being constantly aware of how past experience can be utilized for all our patients
In 2022 we handled more than 800 cases of emergency treatment for cardiovascular diseases such as angina pectoris, cardiac infarction, arrhythmia, valvular disease, and heart failure. In particular, ischemic heart diseases such as cardiac infarction often require emergency treatment. We have a 24-hour emergency support system to provide emergency catheter treatment anytime, even at night or on holidays, and also link with the cardiovascular surgery division to swiftly provide emergency surgery when required. We share the status of all our patients amongst all staff on a daily basis, and this enables us to swiftly handle unforeseen situations, even if the doctor in charge happens to be away. We also strive to enhance regional medical care by creating a network with local doctors, etc., to ensure that patients can smoothly receive care after they are discharged.
The important role of NTT Medical Center Tokyo in community-based medical treatment is acute stage treatment, but we cannot complete treatment alone.
We strive to cooperate with local doctors to accept referrals of patients that require surgery,
hospitalization, or detailed examination, and smoothly return the patients after treatment.
We are also reinforcing our links with at-home (home visit) treatment and nursing/caring, which is expected to increase in the future.
With the registered doctor system we started in 2015,
we now link with over approximately 1400 medical institutions and share information related to our medical care. (As of May 2023)
We also invite local doctors to our clinical seminars and academic lectures and cooperate to increase the quality of medical treatment in the entire region.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo was originally established as a hospital for employees of the Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation, and is still run by NTT East. We consistently prioritize contributing to community-based medical treatment rather than profit.
NTT Medical Center Tokyo is located on the border between different wards, and is closely connected to not only Shinagawa ward, but also Meguro ward, Shibuya ward, and Minato ward. That is why we are selected as one of 83 disaster base hospitals for Tokyo, which means we are responsible for mainly accommodating and treating critically injured patients in the event of a large-scale disaster such as an earthquake.
In 2016, NTT Medical Center Tokyo was selected as one of only 69 foreigner-friendly hospitals in Japan. We have medical interpreters and medical treatment coordinators to enable foreigners that live and work in neighboring areas smoothly able to receive treatment. (As of May 2023)
NTT Medical Center Tokyo has started a system that enables affiliated medical institutions to register with us.
We closely cooperate with doctors at other medical institutions including local hospitals
based on the "Coordination and Role-Sharing between Health Care Professionals" medical policy of the Japanese government
in order to provide safe and high quality medical care in accordance with our roles.
We ask all of our patients to bring a letter of referral for their first visit to ensure that this role-sharing between medical institutions functions effectively.
Please use the following formats if you are intending to make referral or using our high-cost hospital medical radiology imaging's. For more details, please click on “Information For medical practitioners” and “Using hospital imaging's”.
referrals (patient referral document)
TEL: +81-(0)3-6721-6239 (main number)
5-9-22 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa-ku 141-8625
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- Approximately 7 min. walk from Gotanda Station.
*We provide a shuttle bus from Gotanda Station.
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- Approximately 5 min. walk from Gotanda Station.
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- Usage fee: 100 yen/28 min.
Spaces available: 150
Hours open: 7:00 to 21:00
