When you mention surgery, do you mean liposuction or something else? I really feel like our situations are hopeless if it comes back even after liposuction....
Yes, when I mention surgery for lipedema, I specifically mean liposuction using specialized techniques like water-assisted liposuction (WAL) or tumescent liposuction, which are tailored to gently remove the abnormal, hypertrophied subcutaneous fat deposits characteristic of the condition while preserving lymphatic structures. Research, including scoping reviews and meta-analyses of multiple studies, shows these procedures significantly improve symptoms such as pain, mobility, bruising, and quality of life, often reducing the need for compression therapy, with low rates of serious complications. However, liposuction is not a cure for lipedema, as the disease involves pathological adipose tissue changes driven by genetic, hormonal, and inflammatory factors that persist even after fat removal, and it’s impossible to excise every bit of lipedema fat without risking vital structures or causing harm. The goal isn’t total eradication—which studies confirm is unachievable—but substantial volume reduction to alleviate symptoms and halt progression when combined with lifelong conservative measures, as some fat may remain or new deposits form elsewhere if unmanaged.
Thank you for your complete answer. So little is known about lipedema in Canada (it's not even recognized as a disease because it would mean paid care for us...).
I’ve heard about this, and it is heartbreaking. Norway has a similar public health care model, and here too lipedema has become political. A few hospitals used to offer lipedema surgery until a few years ago, and some insurance companies also covered it. But as awareness increased, so did the number of people seeking help. Since then, things have moved in the wrong direction.
When I had my surgeries, they were covered through my employer’s insurance, and I managed to complete four procedures. But when it was time for the fifth, I received a letter from the insurance company stating that they would no longer cover lipedema surgery. That happened in 2022. Around the same time, the government initiated five surgical studies across five different regions in Norway to evaluate whether surgery should be considered a treatment option for lipedema. The first results are expected to be published this year. The insurance company said they would not support further lipedema surgeries until those results are available. And last year, public reimbursement for pneumatic compression devices and compression garments was also reduced.
That is exactly why education matters.
Many Norwegians with lipedema feel that their hope is tied to these five studies. I want to show them that the research landscape is much broader than that, and that there is already a substantial body of evidence beyond these five projects.
I also hope this platform can offer Canadians hope, and provide the knowledge needed to demand better support from the health care system.
When you mention surgery, do you mean liposuction or something else? I really feel like our situations are hopeless if it comes back even after liposuction....
Yes, when I mention surgery for lipedema, I specifically mean liposuction using specialized techniques like water-assisted liposuction (WAL) or tumescent liposuction, which are tailored to gently remove the abnormal, hypertrophied subcutaneous fat deposits characteristic of the condition while preserving lymphatic structures. Research, including scoping reviews and meta-analyses of multiple studies, shows these procedures significantly improve symptoms such as pain, mobility, bruising, and quality of life, often reducing the need for compression therapy, with low rates of serious complications. However, liposuction is not a cure for lipedema, as the disease involves pathological adipose tissue changes driven by genetic, hormonal, and inflammatory factors that persist even after fat removal, and it’s impossible to excise every bit of lipedema fat without risking vital structures or causing harm. The goal isn’t total eradication—which studies confirm is unachievable—but substantial volume reduction to alleviate symptoms and halt progression when combined with lifelong conservative measures, as some fat may remain or new deposits form elsewhere if unmanaged.
Thank you for your complete answer. So little is known about lipedema in Canada (it's not even recognized as a disease because it would mean paid care for us...).
I’ve heard about this, and it is heartbreaking. Norway has a similar public health care model, and here too lipedema has become political. A few hospitals used to offer lipedema surgery until a few years ago, and some insurance companies also covered it. But as awareness increased, so did the number of people seeking help. Since then, things have moved in the wrong direction.
When I had my surgeries, they were covered through my employer’s insurance, and I managed to complete four procedures. But when it was time for the fifth, I received a letter from the insurance company stating that they would no longer cover lipedema surgery. That happened in 2022. Around the same time, the government initiated five surgical studies across five different regions in Norway to evaluate whether surgery should be considered a treatment option for lipedema. The first results are expected to be published this year. The insurance company said they would not support further lipedema surgeries until those results are available. And last year, public reimbursement for pneumatic compression devices and compression garments was also reduced.
That is exactly why education matters.
Many Norwegians with lipedema feel that their hope is tied to these five studies. I want to show them that the research landscape is much broader than that, and that there is already a substantial body of evidence beyond these five projects.
I also hope this platform can offer Canadians hope, and provide the knowledge needed to demand better support from the health care system.