At Which Of The Lipedema Stages Is The Condition Diagnosed?
There are several lipedema stages that a sufferer will inevitably progress through if they have this poorly understood condition. Outcomes are better for sufferers when they receive a diagnosis as early as possible. Unfortunately, early-stage lipedema is hard to spot. For this reason, many sufferers don’t receive a diagnosis until the disease has progressed.
The Stages of Lipedema
Lipedema progresses through three or four stages. At first, the symptoms are not especially noticeable. Therefore, it is easy to misdiagnose the condition at stage one. Over time, though, the symptoms become considerably more obvious. Eventually, if left untreated, it becomes disfiguring, with large nodules and lobules in affected areas.
Stage One
The first stage of lipedema, stage one, produces quite mild symptoms. Sufferers have smooth skin in affected areas. Nevertheless, they start to notice they have excess fat build-up in certain areas of the lower body. Their legs may develop a column-like shape. The upper body may appear smaller than the hips and legs. Sufferers often experience swelling in their legs during the day. However, this usually resolves after resting overnight. Sufferers may also find that their affected areas bruise easily. They may experience some tenderness when touching the affected areas, too.
Stage Two
As the disease progresses to stage two, the build-up of fat becomes more noticeable on the lower and upper legs. Swelling during the day may become worse and may not resolve after resting. The texture of the skin changes too. The tissues start to feel tougher and more fibrous. Nodules may also appear underneath the skin. These feel similar to peas or grains of rice beneath the surface. Sufferers may also notice pain in their lower limbs as well.
Stage Three
Once lipedema reaches stage three, the symptoms are a lot more obvious. Sufferers can feel large nodules like walnuts under the skin. Lobules also start to form around the knees, hips, and upper arms. Persistent swelling in the legs will no longer resolve with rest. Sufferers also find that they have a very noticeable build-up of fat around their thighs and knees. That can make walking difficult. The legs feel heavy and painful, which makes exercising uncomfortable and challenging.
Stage Four
Lymphelipedema is the fourth stage of lipedema. That occurs when the sufferers develop secondary lymphedema alongside their existing lipedema.
Severity of Symptoms and Lipedema Stages
It is important to understand that the stages of lipedema don’t equate to the condition’s severity in terms of symptoms. They relate solely to appearance rather than quality of life. For example, someone can have significant pain while only having the appearance of stage two lipedema.
Problems With Diagnosis
A significant problem that many sufferers have is receiving a diagnosis in the first place. Unfortunately, it is still a poorly understood condition. Even some doctors remain unaware of it or struggle to spot the symptoms.
In its early stages, it is especially hard to diagnose lipedema. That is because it presents in a similar way to other conditions, such as obesity. Receiving a misdiagnosis of obesity causes significant issues for lipedema sufferers.
Obesity and lipedema are two very different conditions. While they may look similar, lipedema fat and regular fat have different compositions. Lipedema fat is tougher, more fibrous, and nodular. Healthy eating and exercising don’t affect lipedema fat either. That means lipedema sufferers can struggle with eating disorders as they try and fail to lose weight. By the time it becomes obvious that the patient has lipedema, their condition has often progressed to a late stage.
The Benefits of Early Diagnosis
Receiving an early diagnosis of lipedema offers benefits to sufferers. With early diagnosis, patients can get treatment before the problem worsens severely. Early treatment helps to delay the progression of the disease and ensures better outcomes for sufferers, both physically and emotionally.
Surgery and the Stages of Lipedema
Surgery can help patients at all stages of lipedema. However, patients at an early stage can enjoy a better result overall. Surgery for lipedema involves undergoing liposuction to remove the diseased fat. At stage one or two, patients may only require a single surgery. At a later stage, patients usually require multiple surgeries.
The surgery is the same as that used by patients seeking aesthetic improvements. However, it is important to note that, for lipedema sufferers, aesthetics isn’t the objective of the surgery. Nevertheless, the result is likely to be more attractive for patients at an early stage of the disease.
Regardless of the lipedema stage patients are at, surgery offers an improved quality of life. Removing the diseased fat improves mobility, reduces pain, and boosts self-esteem.
It is very important to choose the right surgeon to treat lipedema patients. Not all surgeons know how to treat sufferers effectively. Dr. Su at ArtLipo specializes in this field. Reach out to the ArtLipo team now to find out more about arranging a consultation.
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.