This is interesting..
91.7 % of an international lipedema panel agreed that active self-management can help control symptoms and improve quality of life. When the same panel rated the strength of the evidence behind that statement, 36.1 % called it high or very high quality. A statement that progression of lipedema-associated symptoms is not universal received 95.1 % agreement and 47.5 % for evidence strength. A recommendation that lipedema surgery should be performed by providers with extensive knowledge of lipedema management received 98.3 % agreement and 53.3 % for evidence strength.
Before going further, it is worth asking who this international panel actually was. The 71 participants in the final Delphi round were founding members of the Lipedema World Alliance, representing 19 countries across 5 continents and a wide range of professional and patient perspectives. The group included 17 surgeons, the largest professional group, 12 patient representatives, 7 medical researchers, and professionals from lymphology, angiology, phlebology, physical and lymphedema therapy, dermatology and other areas of healthcare. 16 of the 71 participants were from Germany. This does not make the consensus less valuable, but it matters when interpreting percentages such as 91.7 % or 98.3 %. Consensus becomes much more informative when we know who reached it.
