New York, NY (PRWEB) June 12, 2014
Vicki, a 45 year-old New Jersey woman has the waist and lower body of an obese person but she is not overweight in the usual sense. Since her early 20’s Vicki has been living with lipedema, a chronic fat disorder that affects the legs and occasionally the arms, causing an abnormal accumulation of fat cells. Vicki is joining with cardiovascular surgeon Dr. David Greuner, surgical director of Lipedema Centers to tell her story in order to raise awareness of new treatment options for women who may be suffering from lipedema. “Tumescent Lymph-Sparing Liposuction is the only treatment shown to have long-term success in treatment of lipedema,” says Dr. Greuner. A new animation on lipedema treatment may be viewed by clicking here.
"Lipedema patients must endure the significant and multiple effects of of the disease while they are often advised by physicians and friends to ‘eat less’ or to increase their level of exercise," says Dr. Greuner. Estimates of the incidence of lipedema range as high as 11% of the post-puberty female population, with conservative estimates of 17 million women in the U.S. affected.”
“It was a major decision for me to share my personal battle with lipedema,” says Vicki. “When you have this disease, the last thing you want to do is to call attention to yourself. I’m speaking out to help other women who may have lipedema to seek a correct diagnosis and treatment.” Vicki says her condition has been worsening since her early 30's and she is one of the 6% afflicted who also has lipedema in her arms.
“Lipedema causes a disproportionate appearance, with the legs and sometime the arms growing progressively larger. Conservative treatments may reduce pain and reduce the chances of developing secondary lymphedema; unfortunately these treatments do not appear to have any long-term effect on the abnormal fat tissue,” says Dr. Greuner.
To perform Lymph - sparing liposuction a liquid solution is injected into the legs to help numb the area and reduce blood loss before the unwanted fat is removed. In some cases, water-assisted liposuction may be used, to aid in breaking up the fat cells,” says Dr. Greuner. “The procedure is performed with specialized custom cannulas that remove diseased tissue in the most non-traumatic way, minimizing damage to critical lymphatic structures that are often dysfunctional in these disorders. Vicki, like other lipedema patients may require more than one treatment to remove a sufficient amount of fat tissue,” says Dr. Greuner
“Lipedema strikes both thin and obese women, and dieting or exercise usually cannot stop or prevent it,” says Dr. Greuner. With early diagnosis we can often prevent a significant expansion of diseased fat cells and advise patients of their increased risk so they can take appropriate measures.
For more information on lipedema including diagnosis and treatment options visit http://www.lipedemasurgery.com or call 888-286-6600. Lipedema Centers, a division of NYC Surgical Associates maintains clinics in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island and New Jersey.
