According to a recent study, patients suffering from lipedema have shown a significant reduction in fatty tissue after liposuction treatment. The study, presented at the 23rd Annual World Congress of Dermatology, showed that these patients experienced improved body proportions and shape after liposuction.
During the study, 164 patients underwent several years of lipedema treatment that included tumescent liposuction. Researchers conducting the study found a considerable reduction of fatty tissue. The overall body shape improvement was shown to lead to an increased quality of life because the majority of the subjects were able to reduce the time spent in decongestive therapy. The results of the survey showed improvements continued for the patients over time. In fact, subjects reported that impairment caused by lipedema reduced from “severe” prior to liposuction to “mild.”
What is Lipedema?
Lipedema is a condition that causes fat to be irregularly distributed under the skin, especially in the legs and buttock areas. It is often misdiagnosed as obesity; however, it can happen in people of all sizes. It often presents with patients having a much larger bottom half of the body and column-like legs. The cause of lipedema is unknown, but it affects women almost exclusively and it is thought that genetics or hormones can be contributing factors.
Tumescent Liposuction: Lipedema Treatment
Treatments for lipedema include manual lymphatic draining and wearing compression garments. While diet and exercise may not reduce lipedema fat, they can help reduce the inflammation. Liposuction, as mentioned in the study, is often used in severe cases of lipedema. Through tumescent liposuction and/or water-assisted liposuction procedures, the accumulated fat can be suctioned away to provide lipedema symptom relief.
Laser Lipo and Vein Center
Dr. Thomas Wright of the Laser Lipo and Vein Center says, “It is very important to treat lipedema early, as it can lead to serious medical complications if left untreated.” Complications that can arise include delayed wound healing, development of fibrosis, and skin hardening. Also, in more serious cases, lipedema can restrict free movement and motion of the affected limbs.
Dr. Wright says, “Lipedema should be treated as early as possible and liposuction procedures have proven to be very effective. This recent study supports the fact that liposuction can help alleviate many of the symptoms of lipedema and allow patients to resume a more normal lifestyle.”
If you would like to know more about lipedema treatment and its symptoms, please call us at Laser Lipo and Vein Center to schedule an informative consultation.
Reference:
Frambach, Y et al. Long-term results of liposuction in patients with lipedema. Presented at: 23rd World Congress of Dermatology; June 8-13, 2015; Vancouver, British Columbia. http://www.healio.com/aesthetics/liposuction-body-contouring/news/online/%7B094827e5-1ba1-4dbb-9b85-d7f00798b107%7D/liposuction-significantly-increases-quality-of-life-in-lipedema-patients
