title: Long-term Outcome After Surgical Treatment of Lipedema.
abstract: Lipedema is a condition characterized by abnormal deposition of adipose tissue in the lower extremities leading to circumferential bilateral lower extremity enlargement typically seen extending from the hips to the ankles. Diagnosis of the condition is often challenging, and patients frequently undergo a variety of unsuccessful therapies before receiving the proper diagnosis and appropriate management. Patients may experience pain and aching in the lower extremity in addition to distress from the cosmetic appearance of their legs and the resistance of the fatty changes to diet and exercise. We report a case of a patient with lipedema who was treated with suction-assisted lipectomy and use of compression garments, with successful treatment of the lipodystrophy and maintenance of improved aesthetic results at 4-year postoperative follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of California-San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0932, USA. anne.peled@ucsfmedctr.org
authors.forename: Anne Warren
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Peled
authors.forename: Sumner A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Slavin
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brorson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg; D015187:Lipectomy; D008060:Lipodystrophy / Q000150:complications*; D050151:Subcutaneous Fat / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult