The Fathers of Lipedema Surgery: Dr. Gerhard Sattler

lipedema surgery

While lipedema has been recognized for quite some time now, the idea behind lipedema liposuction is still considered to be a recent development. Treatment for lipedema using liposuction is the brainchild of German dermatologist and surgeon Dr. Gerhard Sattler. He began his studies at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University located in Frankfurt, where he received his degree in human medicine. Dr. Sattler completed his doctoral studies in 1988 and became a long-term physician with Darmstadt Hospital. Dr. Sattler’s studies started a journey that would eventually lead him to create liposuction for lipedema techniques that are still used to this day.

The Development of Liposuction

Dr. Sattler continued headstrong into his career in human medicine and founded the Rosenpark Clinic with his wife in 1996. His career highlights include the development of liposuction for medical aesthetics in 1989 which led to life-changing advancement in lipedema treatment. Since then, Dr. Sattler has performed over 10,000 different liposuction procedures over more than 25 years. His knowledge and coaching on how to effectively utilize liposuction continue to be invaluable to surgeons around the world to this day.

Two Methods for Lipedema Surgery

The work Dr. Sattler started in 1989 has led to the development of two major forms of lipedema surgery. The first, tumescent liposuction, involves injecting local anesthetics into subcutaneous fat tissue, causing it to swell. The targeted areas become so large that it becomes firm and easier to remove. The second treatment option is water jet assisted liposuction. This alternative form of liposuction uses pressured jets of water to dislodge the subcutaneous fat tissue, allowing it to loosen up and be removed through a cannula. A tumescent fluid is injected prior to the dislodging the fat tissue. This liquid is removed in the final steps, leaving your body with less subcutaneous fat tissue than before. Water jet assisted liposuction is gentler and leaves your body with less bruising than other methods.

Find Help with Your Lipedema

Dr. Sattler’s work has continued to inspire today’s surgeons, including Dr. Wright, to further enhance and make lipedema liposuction available to those in need. Most surgeons have used Dr. Sattler’s work to further train and evaluate their practice on treating lipedema. Contact our team today to see which lipedema treatments are available and right for you. The path to living with lipedema begins with reaching out to our trained team for help. Read about Waer Assisted Liposuction today!