Sarcoidosis treatment

The “Fachklinik St. Georg” has acquired an excellent nationwide reputation as a sarcoidosis competence centre thanks to the pioneer work in the sarcoidosis research since 1960, conducted first by Professor Karl Wurm and subsequently by Dr. Klaus Kögler, PD Manfred Kornotzki and Dr. Wilhelm Buchbender. Since then more than 25.000 sarcoidosis patients have been treated successfully in our clinic. Even today we receive requests from physicians and clinics, who want to benefit from the results of our sarcoidosis research and from our experience.

Which patients can be treated?

Principally, we can treat anyone suffering from an acute or chronic sarcoidosis regardless to the stage of the disease. Our outpatient therapy centre run by Dr. Wilhelm Buchbender will be pleased to consult you in difficult cases.

Sarcoidosis – what is the prognosis?

Sarcoidosis is in most of the cases a harmless disorder showing only a few symptoms, which disappears without medical intervention. However, sometimes it is a disease, which may affect and damage numerous organs and tends to become chronic, resulting in a reduction of physical ability. The lung is almost always affected, being in the focus of the disease. Since there is no reliable evidence, which indicates early the evolution of the sarcoidosis, the experience of the consulted physician is still crucial as to the evaluation and the choice of the therapy.

Are medicaments necessary?First of all it has to be decided, whether a pharmaceutical treatment is necessary at all. Although there are several medicaments available, the natural hormone cortisone is generally the first choice. The alternatives ought to be considered in a personal talk and the following questions ought to be clarified:

- Which medicaments shall be taken in what dose for how long and in which combination?  
- What has to be done to avoid collateral effects? 
- What can be done to maintain the physical ability and to regain the zest of life?
 - What are consequences of the disease for me and for my family?
- Will my professional and private life be affected by the illness?

The most important elements of the sarcoidosis therapy:
Clarification – physical activity - rest – self-determination

What is important for us:

Diet consultation: it is nearly impossible to keep one’s weight during the cortisone treatment. It is the aim of our diet consultation that the patient learns to accept this without renouncing on pleasures
Therapeutic exercise: feeling the physical capacities of the own body is a precious experience; the therapeutic exercises shall provide this experience.
Physical therapy: overcoming functional deficiencies means a gain of skills; this is the goal of our physical therapy.
Wellness: the wellness centre invites for moments of well-being and of harmony with oneself.
Coping with oneself, removing barriers in the own head, relaxing: the psychological accompaniment will provide guidance and assistance.

The treatment aims at

halting the disease
avoiding collateral effects
relieving the pain
maintaining the physical ability
helping to regain zest of life

An important element for coping with the illness is the self-competence towards the disease. Regular information and an open exchange shall enable the patient to be a competent partner and a scrupulous decision-maker in the matter of his own disease.

Dr. Buchbender Our team

Medical assistance

Dr. med. Wilhelm Buchbender

Specialist in internal medicine

Specialist in pulmonary and bronchial medicine

Specialist in physical therapy and rehabilitation  
Specialist in social medicine 
Sports medicine, chiropractice, special analgesic therapy
Partial licence for sarcoidosis treatment
Physician in charge

An experienced and attuned team of

competent physicians 
experienced nurses 
psychologists 
physiotherapists 
masseurs 
sports teachers

 is ready to carry out together with you an agreed treatment program.

Therapy concept

”The disease shall be treated with politeness and respect”
as the French philosopher Montaigne had it. We want to follow this maxim. This means that we ought to concede to the illness the place in our life which it “deserves” without, however, allowing that the illness dominates our life. Learning to respect the illness means to recognize it, but also to take adequate action to keep it within reasonable limits. The disease shouldn’t dominate us, but we should dominate the disease, together as a team of physicians, of therapists and of you as the most important person.