Lipedema is a fat disorder that is often poorly understood. Although it is not a rare condition, lipedema is often misdiagnosed as lymphedema presumably because most clinicians are unaware of this disease . The disorder is well-known in Europe but is largely unrecognized and underdiagnosed in the United States.
Although the first references date back to 1940 Lipedema has increased in populatity in recent years being a more frequent reason for consultation in plastic surgery practise.
The assesment of the patient with Lipedema requieres a multidisciplinary approach that includes vascular surgery, dietician, physiotherapy and plastic surgery. Beyond conservative tratment, tumescent liposuction has been proved to be the most effective and safe surgical technique to achieve functional and aesthetic long term results.
In this webinar, the typical presentations, findings, classification and management in the operating room are presented with the purpose of synthesizing how identify Lipedema patients, especific clinical features of Lypedema versus obesity patients and lymphedema. A quicker and more accurate diagnosis of lipedema patient should direct us more expeditiously to a surgical solution.
Liposuction in lipedema patient is generally more labour-intensive compared with conventional aesthetic liposuction because of the large amount of fatty tissue to remove. Technology assisted liposuction ( Micro aire-PAL, WALL technologies) are more effective, efficient and safe than manual liposuction allowing us to treat both extremities in one or two sessions maximizising simmetry and saving time in operating room and achieving better results in terms of recovery, functional and aesthethics.
Seqüentially infiltration and liposuction area to area is a keypoint to optimze the adrenaline effect amd achieve a “ state of tumescense “ during all long of the procedure. Intraoperative ultrasound are performed sistematically for assesment and manegement of the thickness of fat pad we preserve in especific areas and to preserve major superficial veins and lymphatic vessels attached to them in order to obtain an aesthethic improvement with no comprimissing of functional result or secondary lymphedema.
