The New Art of Body Shaping…

…but it doesn’t always have to mean surgery

The days of Size Zero are over – looking healthy and fit is considered sexy today and a lot can be achieved with regular exercise and a healthy diet. Nevertheless, there are parts of the body that even these can’t influence. Sometimes even the strictest diet and the most strenuous workout can’t help, especially in cases of genetically misplaced fat deposits or sagging skin after weight loss. Nature takes its toll as well and during the aging process, metabolic processes slow down, altering the hormone balance. The ratio of fat to muscle mass changes: Men suddenly develop breasts or so-called “love handles” in the hip area. With women it is often around the abdomen including the back, the “riding breeches” or the inner thighs.

Liposuction is no substitute for a diet

Every year the Rosenpark Klinik treats over 2000 patients in the field of body shaping. Of these, alone more than 1000 of them undergo liposuction which permanently reduces the excess amount of fat cells in the affected areas and the balances the silhouette. Those who believe that liposuction is a means to reduce weight are mistaken. “The sole purpose here is the harmonization of the body form and the removal of problem zones”, says Dr. Gerhard Sattler, head of the Rosenpark Klinik. The problem frequently addressed is that of the “riding breeches”. Regardless of whether they are slim or somewhat sturdier, countless women suffer from this unattractive deformation of the thighs which stems from an overabundance of fat cells. Liposuction is a proven method of reduction in this case and even if the patient gains weight over time, these disproportionate bulges will not develop again at the same place. “As an experienced practitioner, however, I always have to take the overall picture into consideration,” says Sattler. “The removal of a problem zone alone does not by any means ensure a beautiful body shape. In most cases, it therefore makes sense to treat further areas in order to create a harmonious silhouette”.

The Vibration Cannula technique and Tumescent Local Anesthesia

For over 19 years, several liposuction procedures have been performed daily at the Rosenpark Klinik. The vibration cannula technique is used in tumescent local anesthesia to remove excess fatty tissue painlessly and sustainably. Tumescent local anesthesia is a mixture of saline solution and local anesthetics. It not only numbs the tissue but softens the fat cells as well. The advantage is that these can be removed easily, gently and with minimum risk. By means of the vibrating cannula, the fat tissue is literally “shaken out” through several skin incisions of four millimeters in diameter. The skin suspension apparatus, vessels, nerves and lymphatic tracts are virtually unaffected. The patient is awake during the suction and, if necessary, can turn on his own, tighten individual muscle parts or even stand up. Dr. Sattler: “This helps me to better assess the symmetry during the procedure and to avoid risks such as the disproportionate formation of dents”.

New: additional energy with plasma, radiofrequency and laser

In the further developed system of liposuction using laser, a laser probe is integrated into the suction cannula. This loosens, heats and liquefies the fatty tissue precisely in the tissue’s sliding planes and ultimately in the upper skin layer. The connective tissue suspensions of the skin tighten with the heat of the laser. In the weeks following the treatment, the body builds new connective tissue as part of the wound healing process. The skin’s surface is smoothed and free of indentations and dents, the typical cellulite phenomena. The formation of new collagen makes the tissue visibly and palpably firmer.

Alternatives to surgery

In modern aesthetic medicine, there are now also many non-surgical methods for tissue tightening, fat reduction or body modelling. Cryolipolysis has established itself as a successful method for the reduction of fat in smaller problem zones. Fat cells are destroyed using a state-of-the-art cooling technology in a step-by-step process that does not damage the skin. More precisely, the cold disrupts the blood supply to the fat cells. They die off and a natural breaking down process is initiated. After two to four months, the result is a noticeable, natural-looking reduction of fat deposits. Cryolipolysis is suitable, for example, for hip padding, sagging fat in the back around the bra area or small fat deposits below the navel.

When the skin becomes flabby

With the aging process comes a loss of elasticity of the tissues. Venus Legacy™ is a new procedure that treats not only stubborn fat deposits and cellulite, but flabby parts of the body as well. Dr. Sattler: “It combines multipolar radiofrequency with magnetic pulse technology and a built-in temperature sensor.” This specially developed technique allows a deep penetration into the skin, which results in increased blood circulation and a direct tightening of the skin immediately after treatment. Radiofrequency triggers a thermal reaction in the tissue, which stimulates the body’s natural healing powers. This causes the skin to contract. The first results are already noticeable after the first treatment.

More volume for the buttocks

It is not always a part of the body that is too large that bothers the patient. “Even having too little in a specific area can become a psychological burden as well,” says Dr. Sattler. In the course of the last few years, body shaping using hyaluronic acid or autologous (own) fat has become established for this purpose, mainly in the buttocks area. Using the tower technique, the doctor injects the hyaluronic acid deep into the tissue. Pulling the syringe further and further out of the tissue causes hyaluronic acid turrets to form under the skin, giving the buttocks more volume. Because of the deep placement, the hyaluronic acid hardly decomposes. One can safely speak of a long-term result. At the same time there is a significant long-term improvement, the bottom feels better and firmer and cellulite is reduced.