Lipedema is a disease that has become popular in recent years, with many patients wondering if they have this type of disorder. But what exactly is lipedema? Are we talking about a new disease? We talked with Dr. Joaquim Muñoz about this topic.
To begin with, could you put us in the situation of what we mean when we talk about lipedema?
Lipedema is a fatty tissue disorder that mainly affects women and focuses especially on the lower limbs, that is, on the legs. This disorder was already defined in 1940 by the Mayo Clinic, however, until relatively few years ago it has not been recognized or identified by both patients and professionals. This has meant that for many years a large number of patients have suffered from it without finding a diagnosis or therapeutic solution.
What is this disorder? How do we know if we are a patient with lipedema?
It is a chronic and inflammatory disorder of the fatty tissue that mainly affects the lower limbs. Fat cells grow uncontrollably and unevenly compared to normal fat tissue from the same patient. This disproportionate growth generates symptoms such as pain on palpation, a feeling of heaviness in the legs or arms, and the appearance of bruises or capillary leaks with minimal trauma is also common. The diagnosis is fundamentally clinical, after ruling out vascular or lymphatic pathology.
What characteristics do these patients present?
Fundamentally affecting the legs and in some cases also the arms, these patients present what was previously described with a disproportion in the size of the legs, with the disappearance of the visible or palpable knee due to fat accumulation. We see how this fat distribution reaches the ankle, generating the cuff sign, that is, the dorsum of the foot is not affected, contrary to the patients affected by lymphedema. Unlike lipodystrophy or overweight, this fat does not respond to hypocaloric diets or exercise, while the rest of the body fat does, generating a great disproportion between the legs and the upper trunk. His team has positioned itself as a benchmark in the treatment of lipedema.
What therapeutic solutions can be offered to these patients?
The treatment of the patient with lipedema is multidisciplinary, and several specialists must be involved to be successful. In our practice, a correct diagnosis made clinically and in conjunction with vascular surgery is necessary. Treatment before and after surgery by physiotherapists and manual therapists is also essential and, of course, correct long-term nutritional advice: the anti-inflammatory keto diet has proven to be the most effective in these cases.
What does lipedema surgery consist of?
Lipedema surgery consists of the selective extraction of lipedemic fat, being large volume liposuctions that must be performed respecting and not altering the lymphatic system and, preferably, assisted by technology that has proven to be more effective and safer than conventional liposuction. On the other hand, it differs from normal liposuction (or other cosmetic surgery techniques) in that it is necessary to avoid injuring the lymphatic system with heat-producing technologies, which can damage it, and at the same time it is necessary to achieve maximum skin retraction. . This retraction of the skin, beyond the obvious aesthetic benefit, has a fundamental role in the subsequent functional result, since it acts as a compression mechanism on the fat, preventing the recurrence of lipedema. They are surgeries that are performed under general anesthesia with an average duration of two and a half to three hours, with an overnight stay in most cases and that require a recovery of three to four weeks.
Is the surgery effective?
In our experience, the effectiveness of surgery is practically one hundred percent in the treated areas, as long as we have a good diagnosis and a good accompaniment by manual therapies and nutritional advice. Surgery makes it possible to change the appearance of the legs definitively as well as improve in terms of physical and functional capacity. The effect on pain and heaviness is perhaps the most grateful feedback we have with patients. Another very positive aspect is that patients are able to see the normal ankles and knees that they have longed to see for many years of their lives, and surgery offers them this change for good. “Finally I have normal legs”, they say, which is also a very common feedback from patients. It is therefore a more complex surgery than standard liposuction, but infinitely more grateful for patients and professionals.
www.joaquimmunoz.com
Tel.: 930 156 778
