Do I have lipedema? If so, what should I do? (Photos)

Question

I am 19 years old and have been struggling with body image my whole life as long as I've had saddlebags. I had lipo one year ago (before & current pics) but am very unhappy with results. I've been to a few lipo consults again as I do not know what else to do. One doctor suggested I have lipedema. What does this mean with regards to treatment? Originally I just wanted to lipo my hips, but now my butt, calves, & knees bother me too. Are those also areas worth treating? Is lipo the answer?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

you have lipedema and need full evaluation. the hard part here is that liposuction alone will make you sag more in the hips and lower buttock so we have to discuss iwth you the options to improve t his conservatively or go more agressively with skinremoval and/or internal heating. please see an expert i have been treating this for 13+ years.You need a formal evaluation by an expert in body shaping and contouring to determine what is best.  Traditional liposuction awake and smart liposuction are old methods and do very poorly for tightening skin or significant skin tightening or contouring.  Small problem areas can be improved slightly by these methods.  The best in body contouring not only removes fat with energy devices like VASER ultrasound but also internally heat the skin with radio-frequency devices such as J PLASMA/RENUVION, InMode BodyTite, ThermiRF to heat the under surface of the skin and tighten it at the same time as fat removal. These combinations are called 4D HIDEF VASER contouring and can only be done by a well . trained body contouring specialist. At the same time fat should be harvested, PRP and stem cells added and injected into muscles or indentations/cellulite to get body shaping and contouring.  This is known as a Brazilian butt lift when you inject the fat to the buttock for contouring and lifting, but fat can also be used in areas such as the chest/breast, arms/shoulders, calves and face.  Cellulite should also be treated with cellfina, sculptra, subcision and/or fillers such as bellafill, renuva synthetic fat, or sculptra.  If skin is very loose before surgery then it will need to be removed such as lower abdominal skin (tummy tuck/abdominoplasty), breast skin (breast lift), arm skin (brachioplasty).  Overall you need a full assessment, but simple liposuction alone will not tighten skin and needs a combination of various methods -- fat removal, skin tightening, defining, fat grafting, skin removal -- to get the best in body contouring and body sculpting.  Dr. Emer.

Thomas Wright, MD · Answer

Lipedema is fibrotic Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue disease. It has a characteristic history that includes bilateral pain and leg swelling. It needs to be diagnosed with a careful physical exam and exclusion of other causes.  No one can properly diagnose lipedema from just the photos. It is certainly possible that you have lipedema but I or any expert can not properly know without a full evaluation.  If your goal is cosmetic improvement, please consult with a surgeon who you trust and who understand your goals also is confident he / she can help you achieve them. If your goal to find out if you have lipedema consult with a physician that has a lot of experiencing diagnosing and treating lipedema comprehensively. Wishing you the best of health

Mats Hagstrom, MD (license on probation) · Answer

You may very well have Lipedema.I’m sure you’ve probably done a significant amount of reading about the condition. As you probably already know there is no diagnosis other than ruling out other causes. It worsens with age. Probably the most important thing is to be very careful with weight fluctuations and consider Liposuction even though the results don’t give a strikingly attractive extremities it can help decrease the size.Calf and ankle Liposuction is technically very difficult and has a longer recovery.Best, Mats Hagstrom MD

Do I have lipedema? If so, what should I do? (Photos)

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Do I have lipedema? If so, what should I do? (Photos)

Answers (3)

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