If you’ve just received your diagnosis, you may wonder if there’s a lipedema cure. Unfortunately, the answer currently is no. As yet, experts have not found any way to cure this condition permanently. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean there are no treatments available. These days, lipedema patients have several options when it comes to addressing their condition.
What Is Lipedema?
Lipedema is a poorly understood medical condition. Although around 11% of women worldwide are sufferers, the medical profession struggles to diagnose it. Almost all lipedema sufferers are female, and therefore it’s thought to be related to hormones. Usually, the first signs appear around puberty and worsen at significant times of hormonal upheaval, like pregnancy and menopause.
The signs of lipedema include large, column-like legs and a disproportionately large lower body. Bruising and tenderness of the lower limbs is another common symptom. Lipedema is a progressive condition and will only get worse without treatment. It progresses through several stages until patients begin to struggle with their mobility.
Also Read – Is Lipedema Surgery a Permanent Cure?
Can Lipedema Be Treated?
Although lipedema has no cure, there are treatments available. Typically, medical professionals recommend conservative treatments as the first course of action. These treatments include wearing compression garments, eating a special diet, and having manual lymphatic drainage massage. These treatments address the symptoms of lipedema but not the cause. They can only help to reduce the pain associated with lipedema. There is a more long-lasting option – surgical treatment. Liposuction is the surgical treatment for lipedema.
Although many people believe liposuction is only a cosmetic procedure, this isn’t the case. It is a medical option to help treat patients with lipedema.
Is Surgery My Best Option?
Conservative treatments for lipedema only address the symptoms of the condition. Surgery, however, addresses the cause – the diseased fat itself. The surgeon treats the patient under a local anesthetic. They make incisions in the areas they are treating and use a cannula to break up the fat. They then suction out the fat to create a more proportionate body appearance. Removing the fat reduces the pain that lipedema sufferers experience.
Meanwhile, reducing the bulk of fat makes it easier for the patient to become more mobile. As the surgery removes the diseased fat, the patient will also find their body is more proportionate. As a result, their mental and emotional well-being improves, as well as their physical well-being.
The results that surgeons achieve are long-lasting. Many patients find that the progress of their condition slows down considerably. They find they experience relief from their worst symptoms for many years after their surgery. Liposuction for lipedema improves patients’ quality of life significantly, even though it isn’t a cure for the condition. Therefore, it is the best option for treatment for many patients.
If you have lipedema and are looking for the best treatment options for you, get in touch with Dr. Su. Although there is no lipedema cure at the moment, his liposuction treatments for lipedema sufferers are extremely effective. Take a look at our gallery to see his results, and call our team to arrange your consultation today.
Dr. Thomas Su, is the owner and cosmetic surgeon of Artistic Lipo. He has led our full-time clinic specializing in awake-only liposuction since 2007. Dr. Su began his medical career in internal medicine, practicing that until 2005, when he began to provide a full spectrum of non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
