Interview with Dr. Gerhard Sattler, Rosenpark Clinic
The field of liposuction has become considerably more diversified in recent years. New developments now make it possible to respond to the individual wishes and requirements of patients much more effectively. The "International Academy of Body Contouring and Laser Lipolysis" founded not long ago by Dr. Gerhard Sattler deals exclusively with the issues of subcutaneous fat and connective tissue as well as its pathophysiological and pathomorphological consequences such as cellulite.

Dr. Sattler, how did the idea of the Academy come about?
The empirical values which were able to be gathered with liposuction over the course of time initially enabled key advances and refinements both in an operative and technical respect.
The wide variety of technical options available today have led to a new understanding of the subject, although these have also resulted in a significant need for training. This requirement for further education and training is nowadays called for by patients and what is more: the standard of our success that we achieved only 10 years ago with liposuction is no longer
accepted by patients in terms of its quality.
The idea of the Academy is therefore based on the concept that there is a need for training due to the increasingly differentiated nature of liposuction, both in a technical and operative respect, this being tremendously important if the best possible results are to be achieved with the optimum quality. The Academy would like to offer colleagues this training and impart the
necessary knowledge with its spectrum of courses.

What is the precise role of the Academy?
The role is first and foremost education and training. This comprises both basic knowledgewithout which a new procedure cannot be applied and also, of course, the presentation of new methods and procedures. The aim is to establish requisite conditions so that colleagues can optimally treat patients independently and in a highly-qualified manner.

How does this appear in terms of concrete implementation?
As already mentioned, a basic knowledge is the foundation and essential prerequisite fornew methods. As a result, the workshops and hands-on training sessions in the Academy initially involve this fundamental knowledge.
The foundation course comprises the theory of anatomy, an understanding of tumescence local anaesthesia, pharmacological, tissue-physiological and technical operating aspects as well as patient selection, patient psychology and counselling. A further block of the foundation course will discuss the theory of body shaping and fat distribution schemata, which enable a basic understanding in respect to optimal diagnostic evaluation. A correct choice of operating method and technique can only be made with this knowledge.
Subjects such as complication scenarios and complication avoidance strategies are particularly important, while the area of after-treatment cannot be left out: Medical woundhealing after liposuction and post-operative progress are elementary factors, as a retraction of the skin occurs in precisely this time phase. Compressions and supportive measures such as massages and other post-operative therapies therefore need to be discussed in the same way. The development of new methods and procedures makes it possible to handle the most diverse diagnostic evaluations, but also calls for a new understanding regarding what is feasible with a new method or a new instrument. Although the emphasis was on removal of adipose tissue 10 or 15 years ago, it is nowadays necessary to differentiate between purely a reduction of tissue and a qualitative shaping and skin firming. In so doing, the qualitative shaping usually refers to elimination of the age-stigmatizing body form elements.

What objectives is the Academy still pursuing?
In collaborating positively with industry, the Academy aims to cover a specific technical field of training which is not offered at any other location, not even in university departments specializing in liposuction. Furthermore, this is absolutely essential in regard to our dermatological training, as the latter covers a large share of our clinical work.
The Academy offers regular one-day workshops and is currently planning a summer academy. We are already delighted by the interest shown by our colleagues, but would like to point out that the number of participants in the workshops is limited. We wish to provide highly specific knowledge, which is only possible within the framework of small working groups.