Lipisuction® Surgery for Lipedema

Lipisuction® Surgery for Lipedema

Lipedema is a chronic condition that affects 17 million women in the U.S. It is a painful, chronic pathologic fat disorder. In Lipedema, a person’s fat cells are programmed incorrectly, causing significant swelling in the arms or legs. Dr. Granzow uses an integrated system for Lipedema that combines effective therapy and his unique lymphatic sparing Lipisuction® surgery to provide optimum outcomes for patients suffering from lipedema. Lipisuction® surgery safely removes pathologic Lipedema fat while at the same time protecting the lymphatic channels to prevent the possibility of lymphedema.

Can Lipedema fat be removed with Lipisuction® surgery?

Lipedema fat cells are resistant to diet and exercise. Therefore, Lipedema areas will respond less than other areas of the body. Lipisuction surgery permanently removes the Lipedema fat cells in the affected areas, which decreases lipedema symptoms and improves the quality of life for most lipedema patients. The procedure permanently removes pathologic fat cells. Removal of these cells results in increased range of motion, reduced volume and weight, and significant pain relief.

How many surgeries will I need?

Most lipedema patients require one to two surgeries to sufficiently treat the Lipedema affected areas. The number of surgeries is determined by the patient’s body, the amount of excess fat that needs removal, and the type of anesthesia used. In cases where general anesthesia is possible, much larger amounts of fat can be removed during each surgery. This usually significantly reduces the number of surgeries needed.

Local vs. General Anesthesia

In general, the decision to use local or general anesthesia will be determined by the amount of fat that needs to be removed, the patient’s overall health, the patient’s preferences, and the surgeon’s access to a hospital. For example, most hospitals only allow Board Certified or Board Eligible Plastic Surgeons to perform liposuction in their operating room. Dr. Granzow has safely performed thousands of surgeries using both general anesthesia and local anesthesia. His training and experience give him maximum flexibility in determining the most appropriate course of treatment for each patient. Most patients can have their procedure performed safely with either local or general anesthesia.

General anesthesia

• Used to remove larger volumes of fat, cutting down on the number of surgeries needed and overall recovery time
• Pain-free surgery
• Minimal increase in surgical risk (<1%)

Local anesthesia

• Typically performed in an office or surgery center
• Amount of fat removal limited
• Pain during surgery varies by surgeon and patient (we recommend consulting Yelp or patient reviews)
• Most of surgery risk due to much larger amounts of local anesthetic required compared to general anesthesia
• May be less risky in very heavy patients

Dr. Granzow has found that Lipedema therapy, is a vital part of any Lipedema surgery treatment plan. It can significantly improve patient healing and results, help patients manage pain, and increase mobility before and after surgery. Dr. Granzow includes therapy as part of the surgery treatment plan because he wants his patients to have the best results possible.

Dr. Jay Granzow is an internationally renowned board-certified plastic surgeon who specializes in lymphedema and lipedema treatment. Patients come from all over the country to seek treatment at the Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center, which has a reputation for delivering real results.

To learn more about lipisuction for lipedema or schedule a consultation, contact the team at the Granzow Lymphedema & Lipedema Center.