LIPOCLINIC St. Gallen
9000 St. Gallen
LIPOCLINIC Zürich
8004 Zürich
At LIPOCLINIC, Dr. Linde and his team work with the latest and most innovative procedures. This enables us to offer each patient a personalized treatment concept based on the latest technologies and equipment.
Depending on expectations, the nature of the tissue, age and budget, one procedure or another is recommended. Innovative methods and techniques – constantly being modified at the LIPOCLINIC – such as our own patented Smooth Lipo®, water jet liposuction (body-jet®), laser lipolysis, Renuvion®, or a combination of these methods, produce excellent and immediately visible results. Our treatment methods are practically all free of side effects, can be performed on an outpatient basis and under local anesthesia.
Photos of possible "before/after" results can be found in our gallery.
The LIPOCLINIC works with a self-developed and patented technique that is constantly being optimized. The aim is to remove fat as gently as possible without destroying or damaging healthy tissue structures. The experience of over 25 years with many thousands of liposuction flows into this.
The result is the so-called Smooth Lipo®: The use of a modified tumescent solution containing special homeopathic substances and applied under the skin in a specially developed way ("Ultra Wet Technique"), a special suction scheme, the use of very thin microcannulas and an individual, complementary medical aftercare program make the difference to conventional methods.
While coarse cannulas with a diameter of up to 10 mm are unfortunately still used for treatment in many places, the ultra-thin microcannulas of the technique we use are no thicker than a knitting needle: 1-3 mm thin cannulas make it possible to remove the fat from the cells in the connective tissue apparatus of the subcutaneous fatty tissue without destroying the latter. The incisions are minimal (1-2mm) and heal almost invisibly. Depending on the area and tissue, the procedure is performed either standing or lying down.
All the advantages at a glance:
Water-jet assisted liposuction (WAL) allows fat to be removed from the tissue particularly gently. This technique is always important when 1) the lymphatic vessel must not suffer any injury (e.g., in the case of lipedema) and 2) the fat is to be removed from the tissue particularly gently so that it can then be injected elsewhere. No other method is gentler on the tissue and lymphatic vessels.
With water-jet assisted liposuction, the suction area is no longer swollen with large amounts of local anesthetic as before, but is instead dissolved with the help of a computer-controlled, fine jet of water. This makes the tissue insensitive to pain, and the fat cells are flushed out of the tissue at the same time – like when honey is extracted from honeycombs. The most important structures such as blood vessels, nerves and lymphatic vessels are gently pushed aside by the water jet and thus protected from mechanical injury. Water-jet assisted liposuction is more of an "irrigation method" than a suction technique.
The softened tissue is suctioned off in a single operation immediately after dissolution. The contour is not obscured by stored fluid, so that the patient can already see during the operation where fat has been removed and where fine modeling is still required. The tightening effect is rather limited due to the gentle procedure. This method is more expensive than regular liposuction due to the high level of equipment required and the expensive disposable material; prices generally start at CHF 6000.00.
Special case of breast augmentation with autologous fat: Here the costs amount to CHF 6000.00 as a lump sum for WAL liposuction in three zones plus the injection of the breast. A subsequent injection in the same area costs CHF 3000.00.
The effect of water-jet liposuction can be explained as follows: When a rose is transplanted, it can be dug up with a spade, which will probably damage a few roots. If you don't want to damage any roots, gently rinse around the roots with a jet of water until they are completely free of soil. The situation is similar with water-jet assisted liposuction, which is gentle on the connective tissue and the blood and lymph vessels. As a result, fewer inflammatory reactions can be observed during the healing process, which can also lead to better tissue regression.
Another vivid description of the procedure compares the fat cells under the skin to a bunch of grapes: During mechanical liposuction, the grapes are destroyed and then the fluid is suctioned out, leaving a lot of dead cell material behind. In water-jet assisted liposuction, the grapes are removed individually from the stem without being destroyed.
These comparisons are intended to illustrate that the blood and lymph vessels as well as the connective tissue are optimally protected with the water jet. As a result, fewer inflammatory reactions can be observed during the healing process, which can also lead to better tissue regression with firmer skin and a smoother surface.
Studies and experience show that water-jet assisted liposuction (WAL) is currently the best treatment method for lipedema, because it is the most gentle technique and does not damage the lymphatic system. Instead of sharply removing the fat cells, they are only gently flushed out during water-jet assisted liposuction. With any liposuction procedure for lipedema and especially with liposuction of the lower legs, it is very important that no lymph vessels are damaged during the treatment, which can otherwise lead to permanent swelling of the legs.
The PAL system does not work with heat or ultrasound energy, but with a vibration technique that is particularly gentle on the tissue. The cannula vibrates up to 4000 times per minute, gently "tapping" the fat out of its deposits without damaging the surrounding connective tissue fibers. For this reason, liposuction using this method is particularly gentle on the tissue and lymphatic system.
With VASERlipo, the fat cells are destroyed using an ultrasound probe and then suctioned out using conventional cannulas. The heat generated by VASER leads to a particularly good tightening of the tissue. However, scientific studies have so far only shown a minor effect of this method, which in rare cases can lead to nerve or skin damage due to the heat generated.
Laser liposuction works in a similar way to ultrasound technology, using heat generated by the laser beam; Dr. Linde works primarily with the very efficient 1470 nm laser. Laser-assisted liposuction is particularly recommended for small areas such as the double chin, face or body areas where the skin needs to be tightened.
Laser lipolysis – also known as endolaser – offers a quick and gentle treatment for fat deposits in all areas of the body. The laser-assisted procedure is ideal for treating the neck, cheeks, arms, stomach, riding breeches, inner and outer thighs, as well as knees. During the treatment, a very thin (1mm) cannula is inserted into the skin, a laser fiber attached to the cannula then heats the tissue under the skin. The wavelength of the laser beam is pulsed in such a way that the fatty tissue in particular is heated. This causes the fat cells to break down and liquefy, the body then breaks them down. At the same time, the laser light heats the connective tissue fibers of the subcutaneous tissue, which leads to a massive tightening of the skin.
Laser lipolysis is a minimally invasive method for treating small fat deposits. In most cases, only one treatment is required to achieve the desired result. Results are visible after just one week, although the final result only appears after three to six months.
These cannulas vibrate at a very high frequency during liposuction, which causes the fat cells to be "shaken" out of their connective tissue beds rather than "scraped" out. This technique is said to be gentler than other concepts, but precise studies are lacking. One disadvantage of this technique is that the cannulas used are relatively thick with diameters of 3-4mm.
With the use of "aggressive" cannulas, significantly better scarring of the subcutaneous tissue can be achieved, which leads to particularly good tightening results. These cannulas are also used in the course of normal liposuction. Apart from the significantly better result, the patient does not notice any other difference to normal liposuction. The degree of tightening in individual cases is unfortunately always individual, no guarantee can be given.
Since the use of tightening cannulas means additional material and time expenditure, the additional costs of this technique amount to CHF 1000.00-1500.00.
Renuvion® – cold plasma ("CoolPlasma") or formerly known as "J-Plasma" – is another technique that can be performed following liposuction, if the skin requires a special tightening.
Renuvion® tightens the skin without the side effects (e.g., burns) that are possible with other heat techniques such as laser or radiofrequency. Renuvion® produces a plasma beam generated by the combination of radiofrequency energy and helium gas. The helium gas cools the treated tissue, while the plasma jet – generated from a fraction of the helium gas and radiofrequency energy – heats the connective tissue fibers to the millimeter in a controlled manner without heating the surrounding area. This leads to a targeted shrinking and tightening of the connective tissue fibers under the skin. This tightening effect is so pronounced that it can sometimes be seen and felt immediately after the treatment, even though the final result takes six months.
To tighten the skin, it needs at least 60°C and preferably for a few seconds. The problem with previous methods was reaching this temperature close to the skin without burning the skin. Techniques such as laser (Smartlipo) or radiofrequency (BodyTite) come close to this temperature, but unfortunately this always results in unsightly overheating with adhesions or burns.
The Renuvion® plasma technology achieves a sensational 85°C under the skin, which corresponds to a tightening effect that has never been achieved before. The skin heats up to a maximum of 41°C, which is why burns are impossible. Renuvion® is currently the most efficient and safest way of tightening the skin without a scalpel. Unfortunately, the degree of tightening in each individual case is always individual.
Renuvion® can be performed as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with liposuction. It now enables the liposuction of delicate fat deposits and can also treat patients with poor skin conditions. The material and time required is very high, which is why this technique is relatively expensive. As a rule, only one zone per session can be treated on both sides, at a cost of CHF 6500.00-7500.00.
Renuvion® can be used for
We understand that aesthetic treatment needs to be carefully considered. We are therefore happy to take the time to answer all your questions during a free, no-obligation initial consultation. Arrange your consultation appointment today at one of our two LIPOCLINICs.
If you would like a brief online preliminary clarification before your consultation, you can also contact us by e-mail.
No matter how you want to reach us – we look forward to hearing/reading from you!
