Lipoedema surgery

In addition to the conservative treatment options, lipoedema surgery with liposuction, i.e. the suction of the diseased fat cells, is the most efficient and safest method of permanently treating a pathological fat distribution disorder.

What exactly happens during lipoedema surgery with liposuction?

The name „liposuction“ comes from the Greek: lipos = fat and the Latin: suctio = to suck/aspirate. Some doctors also use the term „lipoaspiration“ (Latin aspirāre = to suck in). In liposuction for lipoedema, the abnormally increased fatty tissue is surgically removed.

There are around ten times more blood capillaries in the affected tissue, which release fluid into the tissue, than lymph capillaries, which remove fluid from the tissue. Liposuction reduces the number of fat cells and their blood capillaries. This means that less fluid accumulates in the tissue, which is responsible for the swelling and pain. However, liposuction cannot correct the increased wall permeability (permeability) and fragility (fragility) of the remaining blood vessels.

Therefore, a certain tendency to fluid retention and therefore pain may remain even after liposuction. This tendency varies greatly from person to person. The scale ranges from “hardly any change” to „significantly less pain than before liposuction“ to “completely pain-free”.

As the exact causes are not known, a recurrence of lipoedema after liposuction cannot be ruled out with absolute certainty. Although the fat cells removed during liposuction cannot form again, the remaining cells may show increased fat absorption. However, the number of remaining abnormal cells is usually so small that, according to previous experience, their enlargement is extremely slow.

The improvements in symptoms achieved by liposuction are independent of the age of the patient.

The best results are achieved in stages I and II. In contrast, patients with particularly pronounced lipoedema (stage III) subjectively perceive the improvement from liposuction to be more significant than those with stage I lipoedema.
However, an improvement in quality of life achieved through liposuction can only be maintained in the long term through a lifestyle with a sensible diet and sufficient exercise!

What methods are used for lipoedema surgery?

First, the tissue is prepared using a special tumescent local anaesthetic. A cannula is then inserted into the underlying fatty tissue via several small access points in the skin. Ultimately, only three methods have become established for suctioning out the large amounts of fat that are usually present in lipoedema:

These three techniques have been established for years and are extremely low-risk when performed correctly. In our experience, water-jet assisted liposuction is particularly effective and gentle. We have also developed a technique for virtually scarless liposuction (SmartSculpting - see below).