Lipedema is a disease of the fatty tissue that mainly affects the hips, legs and thighs. It causes disproportion in these areas of the body, from the navel to the ankles. This fatty tissue hurts when touched or when making impact movements, such as running, and if it is not treated or an attempt is made to slow its progression, lipedema can lead to lipolymphedema. Moreover, it is characterized as a chronic and degenerative disease.
Where does modern medicine stand in the study of lipedema?
Lipedema remains, unfortunately, one of the most unknown diseases in the field of medicine. We do not know its exact causes, although there are hypotheses about its relationship with the increase of estrogen, since it affects mainly women in puberty, or after pregnancy and lactation, patients with obesity… All of them live stages with a clear hormonal increase.
People with lipedema feel pain in the area where fat accumulates and bruises often appear on their skin, even if they have not been injured. This occurs because lipedema causes skin fragility. In addition, the lower limbs are altered and the accumulation of fat severely affects venous drainage and the lymphatic system. The negative consequences worsen as the stage of the disease progresses, to the point of slowing down blood flow, with oversized knots of fat.
Surgery: the best solution to lipedema
A future patient should keep in mind that surgery is the best treatment against lipedema, since it allows the removal of most of the affected fat. Thus, the patient will not feel pain, his limbs will no longer be disproportionate and will be relieved. The surgery must be accompanied by lymphatic drainage massages, physical activity and a healthy diet, since it is a chronic disease. A change in lifestyle habits is absolutely necessary to slow its progression. There is another more conservative treatment, although it is recommended only for patients with lipedema in the first stage, when it is not advanced.
Does lipedema surgery require more than one operation?
The number of operations varies according to each patient and the stage of lipedema. Usually, if the disease is not very advanced, surgery and a change in lifestyle habits towards a healthy lifestyle, with proper nutrition and exercise, can maintain its progression for a long period of time.
On the other hand, if the patient suffers from lipedema in advanced stages, it is possible that more surgeries may be necessary, starting six months after the first operation, to continue removing the diseased fat until the area is completely healed.
Results: no discomfort and aesthetic improvement
Thanks to the surgical treatment, the patient no longer feels pain in the affected area and feels that the pressure in the lower extremities decreases. The sensation of heaviness that was previously felt disappears and movement increases as the affected fat is removed. In addition, the body volume of these areas decreases considerably, improving the aesthetic appearance of the body and, therefore, also increasing the patient’s self-esteem.