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Lipedema is a very underdiagnosed condition in the US and the world. This is mainly from a lack of understanding. There are a lot of symptoms and differences from just weight gain. However, I would need to understand a lot more about your particular case. As an FYI, there is a small group of us that is working very closely with the lipedema community to educate as well as develop Standard of Care Guidelines for the US. For more information please visit our lipedema educational website.Hope this helps!Jaime S. Schwartz, MD, FACSDiplomate, American Board of Plastic Surgery Fellow, American College of SurgeonsAssociate Clinical Professor of SurgeryUSC Keck School of MedicineDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery#RealSelf100Surgeon #RealSelfCORESurgeon
Lipedema affects nearly 25 million women in the US. As a board certified plastic surgeon and a board certified lymphedema expert, I manage complex lip edema cases with a combination of liposuction and skin tightening procedures. Most cases of lipedema improve with liposuction and fat lipolysis with laser and Coolsculpting. A combination approach is ideal. Best, Dr. KaramanoukianRealself100 Surgeon
Lipidema may affect as many as 11% of all women and is when fat is distributed in an irregular way below the skin. This most commonly involves distribution to the legs buttocks and thighs. While it may begin as a cosmetic problem it can evolve into pain. Unfortunately, many health care providers do not properly diagnose lipidema, and instead call it metabolic syndrome or obesity. This is a problem because lipidema can lead to other problems such as infections and fibrosis. There are many patients with Lipidema who have normal BMI. Most plastic surgeons can treat lipdema with treatments such as liposuction. It is important to do a thorough history and understand a patient's medical history as some hormones can play a role. There is definitely a genetic predominance in my experience. It is a privilege to take care of patient's with lipidema as surgery can enhance a patient's life and improve their self image.David Azouz M.D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Medical City Dallas
The full answer is we don't know whether Coolsculpting / Cryolipolysis is safe with lipedema. There are at least theoretical concerns that because there is increased inflammation in lipedema tissue there may be a greater risk of a bad outcome with Coolsculpting / Cryolipolysis. I am sorry I am...
Many insurance companies have medical policies that can possibly cover lipedema surgery. The insurance companies very restrictive "medical necessity" and plan restrictions that make it unlikely for many people to get coverage. The individual policies are complex, and the process for submitting...
This is not an easy question to answer. We are still determining what lipedema is. We do have theories. In the United States, based on the work of Dr. Karen Herbst, we believe that lipedema is associated with lymphatic system malfunction. If that is a primary problem, the fat abnormality is...
