Introduction to Lipoedema

Lipoedema (also known in the United States of America as Lipedema) is a recognised medical condition and often be misdiagnosed as lymphoedema. A fat disorder, it is characterised by an accumulation of painful fat below the waist, resulting in hips, buttocks and legs that are out of proportion with the upper body. It can also affect the arms, resulting in laxity of skin with abnormal fat pads at the elbow and wrist. It typically affects women and often develops during puberty.

One major frustration of patients with lipoedema is that they are accused of being simply “fat,” which is not the case; it is a relatively common disease with extremely common misconceptions. Perhaps one of the most critical complications is the acquisition of secondary lymphoedema. The increased weight can compromise the lymphatics causing blockages and hinder lymphatic flow. Blockage prevent the proper drainage of lymph fluid. Many lipoedema patients also experience a tremendous amount of pain and bruising due to the condition and the affects it has on the body’s systems.

Lipoedema is estimated to occur in 11% of the adult female population, meaning that millions of women worldwide are affected. Many health care professionals remain unaware of the condition and patients are simply dismissed as being overweight.

Rehabilitative liposuction is recognised as a successful technique which can permanently remove the excess fat cells and improve any associated lymphoedema. As this is a specialist area of medicine, in particular tending to complex patient need, it is recommended that liposuction is preferably performed by a board-certified plastic surgeon with the appropriate knowledge of lipoedema and requisite experience with multi-stage liposuction.