I got my life back - suffered from lipedema since puberty

Dear Dr. Amron,

I wanted to wait until the swelling was down from my last surgery in December 2020, and then I would write my review from the perspective of a patient who has already healed and who can see their final results. Well, that time has arrived and here is my glowing, honest, and heartfelt review for my most favourite doctor on the planet! It's been just over fifteen months since my surgery.

THANK YOU. Those two little words can’t fully express my sincere gratitude for what you have done for me. The three lipedema surgeries you performed on me from April 2018 to December 2020 gave me my life back. I never though I’d be able to eat normally again, after suffering incredible swelling where pockets of lymphatic fluid would get trapped in the fibrotic fat of my legs. I never understood why my legs were painful, bruised, bumpy and swollen, despite exercising and dieting obsessively. I would gain 30 pounds or more EVERY YEAR, and crazy diets and fasts became my go-to because nothing else would work. I had to do something, anything, to stop the scale from climbing. I was stuck in this hellish cycle and I didn’t know how I was going to keep this up for the rest of my life. I consulted so many doctors of every kind in Canada, including an endocrinologist, but no one was able to give me answers. At the time, in late 2017, no one knew about lipedema here in Canada. You diagnosed me from afar and from that moment on I had hope that there was a cure for my condition, and that it wasn’t my fault!

My first two surgeries with you were in April and May of 2018. I loved how you are not opportunistic and wanted to wait to see if I really needed a third surgery. I hoped and prayed that two surgeries would be all I needed to get rid of my lipdema, and while the results were amazing after those surgeries, after another year went by I knew something wasn’t right. I was having lipedema pain and swelling in my buttocks, hips, and stomach; I could actually tell what it was because the pain from my legs was GONE after your surgeries, and I recognized the feeling of lipedema pain. After a virtual consult with you, you said you thought it was lipdema in my torso and that a third surgery was recommended. So off I went to LA in the middle of the pandemic, and I had my third and last surgery with you on December 10, 2020. That was the best decision ever!!! It removed the swelling and fibrosis, and now my lymphatic system can flow properly and works normally again! All the swelling has subsided from the surgery and I can see incredible results that I never thought possible. I can actually see my leg muscles again instead of just swollen flab. My manual lymphatic drainage therapist is so impressed with my results, and she can’t believe the amazing skin tightening from the J-Plasma. She says my legs don't even feel like they have lipedema anymore when she does lymphatic massage on me. What a huge difference from before the surgery, she says! Even my son tells me (without any prompting from me) “Mom, your legs look really good!” ....and that says a lot from a teenager! I am not expecting to look like a model, but I just wanted to be able to stop the horrific swelling and weight gain. You have done that for me, Dr. Amron, and have exceeded my expectations. You have turned back time for me and given me my quality of life back. I only wear compression occasionally now, and my scars have healed so well no one would guess I had three surgeries. I am able to wear regular-sized clothes now, and even skinny jeans! I could never even get those over my ankles and if I did manage to squeeze them on (painfully), my knees always looked like stuffed sausages and I would have to peel them off in disgust. Not anymore! I never thought I’d ever be able to tell someone what I weighed again, either, because I honestly never knew; it varied greatly from day to day due to swelling. NOW MY WEIGHT IS STABLE! It’s the exact same number, or it's lower!!! That has not happened since before my lipedema raged out of control with my first pregnancy 17 years ago. And best of all, I am eating normally. I can now lose weight with a healthy reduction of calories and exercise, like a “regular” person. That is a dream come true for me.

Your team is so incredible and I miss you all. I was so excited coming down to LA for my second and third surgeries (once the fear subsided after surgery #1). Someone would have easily thought from my attitude that I was going on vacation! It was so wonderful seeing the familiar, smiling faces of Evelyn, Daisy, and Dr. Mendhelson again, plus meeting more new and wonderful staff. Your entire staff did everything they could to make my surgery experience safe and successful. Your clinic is top-notch and you are THE absolute expert, Dr. Amron. I am so thankful I had your hands operating on me and that I could benefit from your incredible expertise. I wouldn’t risk having surgery with anybody else, as you really know lipedema and are dedicated to helping women like me. I get up each morning and look in the mirror and thank God for you, Dr. Amron. Seriously, I do.