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Lipedema Stage 1 & 2 Beware!
I had a consultation with Dr. Aria in October and have really debated leaving this review, but I don't want what happened to me happen to other lipedema ladies--we have enough to deal with!
I had been diagnosed with late Stage 1/early Stage 2 lipedema in my legs, arms and abdomen by my vascular surgeon (who has absolutely nothing to gain from diagnosing me) and so I began the search for a surgeon. Like anyone with Lipedema starting their surgery journey, I landed on the ALT website and booked a consultation with Dr. Aria, since the wait for Amron was so long. I was excited for my virtual consult and took the dreaded pictures of myself in the scantiest of undies, which is always awful, but I was still eager to meet Dr. Aria--finally a doctor who doesn't gaslight or dismiss my symptoms! Right?! Wrong. Le sigh.Dr. Aria took one brief look at my photos and said that I didn't have lipedema anywhere other than a "small amount" in my thighs, not in my abdomen or arms. I reminded him that I had been diagnosed IN-PERSON by my vascular surgeon (the only doctors trained to diagnose lipedema, btw) and he blew it off. He then suggested-- and get ready for it ladies with extremely sensitive lipedema skin-- that I get Coolsculpting on my abdomen. COOLSCULPTING. I said that I had had it on my arms and it was the most painful experience due to what I believed was lipedema. That got a shrug and then he told me how Coolsculpting was a safe procedure and he had trained with the dude who invented it or something, (which was a weird flex, right?) And he said that I didn't need to worry because if something went awry, the corrective surgery would be paid for by the Coolsculpting people. Great. Then the worst happened. I started to doubt my diagnosis. I fell back into the trap of being gaslit and felt like I was an idiot. My fat was again my fault and something to be ashamed of. I clammed up and listened while he talked a lot about Stage 3+ patients. I got the impression my Stage 1 / 2 didn't do it for him. The consultation ended and I was absolutely devastated. In the end, Dr. Aria had decided that only my thighs needed a small amount of liposuction.Thankfully, my husband convinced me to go back to my vascular surgeon, who reconfirmed my diagnosis and even sent me to an additional vascular surgeon so I could have a second opinion. Again, they don't gain ANYTHING from diagnosing me. This doctor agreed with my original diagnosis and found rather large lipedema nodules in my abdomen. I started talking to other lipedema surgeons who all agreed with the diagnosis.I now have six surgeries scheduled to finally be free of my pain. Low and behold, my condition was so apparent that even my insurance saw it and is fully covering my procedures as in-network with an out-of-network surgeon. If I had listened to Dr. Aria I would not have gotten the treatment I actually needed and would have gotten hurt in the process. COOLSCULPTING. And remember, y'all, these guys are dermatologists, not plastic surgeons. Big difference.The one star is for Desiree! She was so helpful and kind. If I could give her five stars on her own, I would.
I had been diagnosed with late Stage 1/early Stage 2 lipedema in my legs, arms and abdomen by my vascular surgeon (who has absolutely nothing to gain from diagnosing me) and so I began the search for a surgeon. Like anyone with Lipedema starting their surgery journey, I landed on the ALT website and booked a consultation with Dr. Aria, since the wait for Amron was so long. I was excited for my virtual consult and took the dreaded pictures of myself in the scantiest of undies, which is always awful, but I was still eager to meet Dr. Aria--finally a doctor who doesn't gaslight or dismiss my symptoms! Right?! Wrong. Le sigh.Dr. Aria took one brief look at my photos and said that I didn't have lipedema anywhere other than a "small amount" in my thighs, not in my abdomen or arms. I reminded him that I had been diagnosed IN-PERSON by my vascular surgeon (the only doctors trained to diagnose lipedema, btw) and he blew it off. He then suggested-- and get ready for it ladies with extremely sensitive lipedema skin-- that I get Coolsculpting on my abdomen. COOLSCULPTING. I said that I had had it on my arms and it was the most painful experience due to what I believed was lipedema. That got a shrug and then he told me how Coolsculpting was a safe procedure and he had trained with the dude who invented it or something, (which was a weird flex, right?) And he said that I didn't need to worry because if something went awry, the corrective surgery would be paid for by the Coolsculpting people. Great. Then the worst happened. I started to doubt my diagnosis. I fell back into the trap of being gaslit and felt like I was an idiot. My fat was again my fault and something to be ashamed of. I clammed up and listened while he talked a lot about Stage 3+ patients. I got the impression my Stage 1 / 2 didn't do it for him. The consultation ended and I was absolutely devastated. In the end, Dr. Aria had decided that only my thighs needed a small amount of liposuction.Thankfully, my husband convinced me to go back to my vascular surgeon, who reconfirmed my diagnosis and even sent me to an additional vascular surgeon so I could have a second opinion. Again, they don't gain ANYTHING from diagnosing me. This doctor agreed with my original diagnosis and found rather large lipedema nodules in my abdomen. I started talking to other lipedema surgeons who all agreed with the diagnosis.I now have six surgeries scheduled to finally be free of my pain. Low and behold, my condition was so apparent that even my insurance saw it and is fully covering my procedures as in-network with an out-of-network surgeon. If I had listened to Dr. Aria I would not have gotten the treatment I actually needed and would have gotten hurt in the process. COOLSCULPTING. And remember, y'all, these guys are dermatologists, not plastic surgeons. Big difference.The one star is for Desiree! She was so helpful and kind. If I could give her five stars on her own, I would.
Provider Review
Dermatologic Surgeon, Board Certified in Dermatology
450 N. Roxbury Dr., Beverly Hills, California