THE CLINIC
Vollständiges Transkript
Patient
For me, the first stay at the Földiklinik was a game-changer.
Before that things weren't really progressing and during my first stay here they removed two litres of fluid from my left leg, another litre from my right leg and another litre of fluid from my whole body. And that's of course a lot — I wouldn't have managed that otherwise.
Female patient 3
I also enjoy my stay here, although, of course, the compression — the daily compression — is very exhausting, physically demanding. But I take the time for myself and my health.
Female patient 2
I get lymphatic drainage in the mornings and the bandages put on, and then an additional follow-up treatment in the afternoons. And in all the years that I've been coming here, almost 5 litres less per leg. And it's an incredible success: 10 kilos, 10 litres that you no longer have to lug around. And the legs are slimmer, softer and it means a better quality of life.
Patient
So I wear quite strong compression. And with that compression I walk around 8 to 10 kilometres a day. That of course has an effect. On top of that I have lymphatic drainage twice a week and I go swimming. And that's how I have managed over the years to maintain and even partly improve my condition.
And now here's the secret. If you do, or have to do, so much exercise, the whole cardiovascular system naturally becomes very fit. Yes, that means I'm really fit and so you can turn this awful diagnosis — that you have a tumour and a lymphoedema — into something a little positive.
The Földi Clinic in Hinterzarten
The Földi Clinic is a specialist clinic for lymphology, providing inpatient and outpatient treatment for disorders of the lymphatic system. Services are covered by all statutory and private health insurers, pension insurance providers and employers' liability insurance associations.
Our philosophy is to reconcile a commitment to medical progress with high humanistic standards. We offer integrated forms of treatment under one roof: drug-based, physical and surgical therapies, including emergency care.
The team of the Földi Clinic
At the Földi Clinic you will be cared for by a highly qualified team that will support you on your journey to your personal goal. The collaboration between the interdisciplinary medical team, experienced in lymphology, and experienced physiotherapists, nursing staff, psychotherapists, dietetic assistants, certified wound therapists, hygiene officers and the social counselling service ensures optimal care for our patients.
Prof. Dr. med. E. Földi
Dr. Med. Martha Földi
Sylvia Dirscherl
Management
Dr. med. Michael Oberlin
Specialist in Internal Medicine
Dr. Tobias Bertsch, MD
Specialist in Internal Medicine
Certified Obesity Specialist (DAG, DDG),
Specialist Certification in Obesity Professional Education (SCOPE),
Emergency Medicine,
Diploma in Social Education
Dr. med. Ina Rüsing-Kohsiek
Senior Consultant
Specialist in General Medicine,
Specialist in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine,
Additional qualification in Physical Therapy, Emergency Physician,
Social Medicine (Course A–H)
Dr. Dr. Claudia Seger
Senior Consultant
Specialist in Internal Medicine and Angiology
Dr. med. Regina Kluge
Senior Consultant
Specialist in General Medicine,
Diabetologist (DDG),
Specialist in Nutritional Medicine,
Certified Obesity Specialist (DAG, DDG)
Dr. Susanne Luz, MD
Senior Consultant
Specialist in Neurology/Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Ulrike Walz-Eschenlohr
Senior physician
Dr. Susanna Wolf
Lymphology
Further specialities: Bariatric counselling, Laboratory, specialised pain therapy
Assil Abdurahim
Doctor
Havva Ilgaz
Doctor
Moritz Ohnacker
Doctor
Akram Alghnimah
Doctor
Taisiia Solomakha
Doctor
Anja Schäfer
Doctor
Dr. med. Kathrin Jung
Doctor
Rodica-Iulia Gruia
Doctor
Cristina-Alexandra Gruia
Consultant in Internal Medicine
Mission statement
We, the employees, feel committed to the long tradition of holistic patient care at the Földiklinik. To ensure the best possible medical, therapeutic, and nursing care, we focus on what matters most – the person.
Our actions are based on empathy, expertise, and the goal of sustainably supporting our rehabilitees on their journey to greater quality of life and independence.
The chronic condition lymphoedema requires a biopsychosocial treatment approach that equally takes into account the medical, psychological and social aspects. Together with our patients, we define individual rehabilitation goals and support them in actively taking responsibility for their health.
Through targeted training, guidance and motivation we promote understanding of the condition and a mindful approach to one's own life situation. We prepare those undergoing rehabilitation to apply what they have learned in the clinical setting sustainably in everyday life – as a foundation for long-term quality of life and participation.
Our communication is characterised by respect, empathy and openness. We are committed to accessible, non-discriminatory and inclusive healthcare – regardless of age, gender, background, religion or disability.
Our multiprofessional teams work collaboratively across different disciplines, valuing each other and maintaining collegial relationships. All staff contribute their skills and personalities for the benefit of the patients in rehabilitation and for the further development of the clinic.
In our interactions with relatives, referrers, and partners in the healthcare sector, we maintain open, transparent, and solution-oriented communication on an equal footing.
Research, teaching and continuous development are central components of our work. Our aspiration is to remain a leader in the field of lymphology in the future – both in patient care and scientific advancement.
Through forward-looking research, a close integration with teaching, and targeted knowledge transfer, we ensure optimal diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation for our patients.
We utilise modern scientific findings and digital technologies to continuously improve medical and therapeutic procedures, communication, and organisational processes. In doing so, we act with a focus on quality, efficiency, data security and ethical responsibility.
The ongoing conceptual and structural development across all areas of work contributes to maintaining our innovative capacity – and securing the long-term competitiveness of the Földiklinik.
Qualified, committed employees are crucial for the quality of our work. We support their professional and personal development through targeted training and further education, interdisciplinary exchange, and an open, learning-promoting atmosphere.
We understand leadership as the task of providing direction, enabling participation, and sharing responsibility. Our leaders create reliable conditions for autonomous action, transparency, and trust.
Health promotion, team spirit, and the compatibility of work and private life are integral parts of our corporate culture – they ensure long-term motivation and stability.
We understand sustainability as an integral part of our actions – ecologically, socially, and societally. We handle resources responsibly, rely on energy-efficient and environmentally friendly processes, and promote a strong environmental awareness in the daily operations of our clinic.
As a regionally rooted institution, we take on social responsibility in the Hochschwarzwald region. We are committed as an employer to social sustainability, promote the health of our employees, and strengthen the local community.
At the same time, we see it as our duty to contribute to raising awareness about chronic conditions such as lymphedema and to enhance the health literacy of both our patients and the public.
Our aim is to make a sustainable contribution to the preservation and improvement of the quality of life in the region – today and for future generations.
Focus areas
Areas of focus for inpatient treatment:
- General lymphology
- Oncological lymphology
- Paediatric lymphology
- Gynaecological lymphology
- Geriatric lymphology
- Obesity-associated lymphoedema
- Wound management
- Complex vascular malformations
- Treatment of lipalgia syndrome
- Lymphological surgery in cooperation
Indications
Primary lymphoedema:
Caused by congenital malformation of the lymphatic vessels.
Secondary lymphoedema:
Limbs, breast, head/neck, genitals after cancer treatments and in cancer recurrence, as well as following surgery.
Post-traumatic lymphoedema:
After accidents and severe inflammations.
Obesity-associated lymphoedema:
Lymphoedema caused by severe obesity.
Multicausal lymphoedema:
Lymphoedema resulting from multiple conditions.
Complex vascular malformations:
with accompanying lymphoedema.
Malformation of the lymphatic vessels of internal organs:
- with protein-losing enteropathy
- with chylous effusions of the thoracic and abdominal cavities; refluxes.
Combined forms of lymphoedema:
- Post-thrombotic syndrome with or without open wounds.
- Phlebolymphoedema in varicose vein disease.
- Oedema associated with rheumatic, orthopaedic or neurological disorders and Sudeck's disease (complex regional pain syndrome).
Lipalgia syndrome (formerly lipoedema syndrome)
Diagnostics
- Internal clinical and physical examination and laboratory investigations
- ECG
- Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (24-hour)
- Echocardiography
- Ultrasound of the abdomen, thyroid gland and soft tissues
- Ultrasound of lymphoedema
- Lung function tests
- Duplex ultrasound of arteries and veins
- Special lymphological function tests (Streeten test, cream test)
Research
Only through scientific work that addresses questions relevant to the lymphatic system will the field of lymphology grow. Conversely, neighbouring disciplines can be enriched with lymphological aspects through this interface.
The European Research and Support Association for Lymphology (EFFL e.V.) supports clinical research projects and participates in a wide range of collaborations and fundamental research projects.
Certificates
The aim of quality management is the continuous improvement of services through the optimal use of the resources available and the achievement of the highest possible patient satisfaction.
The Földiklinik - International Centre for Lymphology - has successfully met quality management criteria since 2004. The Földiklinik is currently certified to ISO 9001 and QMS-Reha.
Stoßwellentherapie
QMS-Reha
TOP Arbeitgeber im Mittelstand 2024
Gutes Essen in der Reha
Die Földiklinik - Pioniere der Lymphologie
Die Földiklinik, founded in 1979 by the physician couple Prof. Dr. med. Michael and Prof. Dr. med. Etelka Földi, has stood at the forefront of lymphological treatment in Germany for over four decades. As a specialised clinic, it has not only revolutionised the care of patients with lymphoedema, but has also been instrumental in the development and establishment of complex decongestive physiotherapy (CDP).
In April 1979, the Földiklinik was established in Feldberg-Altglashütten as a specialised clinic for lymphology. The Haus Sommerberg, a former spa facility of a savings bank with 60 beds, was rented by the couple Prof. Dr. med. Michael and Prof. Dr. med. Etelka Földi.
After appropriate renovations, the clinic was authorised for patient care according to § 30 GWO and classified as a specialised hospital by the payers according to § 184 RVO. Within a very short time, the demand for lymphological treatment increased, leading to the rental of a nearby hotel with 22 beds (Haus Brunk).
The medical staff at the time consisted of 4 doctors, 8 nurses, and 14 therapists. These were years of improvisation, and there was a spirit of new beginnings: patients were pleased with the newly created opportunity to receive treatment for their lymphoedema in a specialised clinic.
Similarly, the treating doctors and therapists were increasingly gathering lymphological experience and optimising individual diagnostic and treatment strategies. Already at this time, the interdisciplinary principle of lymphological patient care was established: patients with secondary lymphoedema following cancer therapies were treated in collaboration with the oncology centre of the University Hospital of Freiburg.
Lymphoscintigraphy and other imaging examinations were conducted at the Emmendingen District Hospital.
As early as 1979, Professor E. Földi received the authorisation from health insurance for lymphological consultations, which allowed for outpatient lymphoedema treatment alongside inpatient care. Manual lymphatic drainage was supplemented with further measures in the clinic and established as complex physical decongestive therapy.
Today, complex physical decongestive therapy (CPDT) is recognised as the foundation of conservative lymphoedema treatment, integrated within an internal medicine overall concept.
The therapeutic successes were convincing. Numerous doctors from both domestic and international backgrounds visited the specialist clinic, as did hospital operators and health politicians; the founding of a model clinic, supported by the federal and state governments, was planned and welcomed by the clinic founders.
After this plan failed in Stuttgart, the clinic management took initiative and, without shying away from risks, ensured the further development of the lymphological specialist clinic:
The Földi couple acquired the Hotel Weißes Rößle in Hinterzarten, which had 96 beds at the time. After extensive renovation work, the Földi Clinic was able to reopen its doors there on 24 September 1986. In line with the new requirements, the number of employees increased: 7 doctors, 15 nurses, 24 physiotherapists, as well as service personnel.
The expansion of the clinic was reflected not only in the increase in bed numbers but also in the optimisation of the interdisciplinary treatment of our patients.
The demand for therapy places continued to grow. Despite the first health reform laws in 1989, plans for an expansion of the Földiklinik with 37 beds were presented to the cost bearers. In 1992, a new ward could then be opened.
The second phase of expansion also began with 37 beds in 2003/2004. Today, the Földiklinik has 152 beds across 4 wards, which have been named after pioneers of lymphology. From the outset, the Földiklinik has always been characterised by teamwork and a good atmosphere among the now 170 employees.
Collaboration with the University Hospital Freiburg has expanded, and a cooperation agreement has been concluded.
Within the clinic, specific focuses have been established, such as paediatric lymphology, which involves the care of children with congenital lymphedema, oncological lymphology, which pertains to the care of patients with secondary lymphedema following cancer, and geriatric lymphology, which addresses the treatment of older patients with lymphedema and often numerous comorbidities.
Another focus of the Földiklinik is the interdisciplinary care of patients with lymphedema caused by obesity. Comprehensive dietary counselling, exercise programmes, and psychological support have been established.
Particularly attractive location in the Black Forest
The Földiklinik is situated in a particularly attractive location in the Black Forest, offering patients a wide range of opportunities. The nearby town of Hinterzarten invites visitors to stroll and enjoy a coffee, while the surrounding natural environment is ideal for therapeutic activities.
Depending on their physical condition, patients can choose from various exercise options — from a gentle walk to Nordic walking. Excursions into the region, for example to Freiburg or to Lake Titisee, are also possible. Through shared activities and similar conditions, close friendships often develop among the patients.