De-Bulking Surgery

Has anyone on the LE board ever had de-bulking surgery, or contemplated it?

I haven't been able to find a whole lot about it, but thinking ahead, when it's time for reconstructive surgery, I may need it.

All  most of my weight is carried below the wast, and the back of my left leg has a large mass that prevents me from sitting normally in a chair. I must sit on the edge,  unless it is a very deep chair, that will.allow me to sit evenly on both thighs.

So...de-bulking?  What do you know?  Where should I look?

Sorry - I haven't.  You might try asking Sarahlicious - I know she has much more severe LE than I do and is extremely knowledgeable.

Best of luck!

Thanks for the tip!

Hi Jazzbabe,

i'm late to the discussion here but i do know that there is a new form of liposuction - Water jet assisted liposuction- that has been used successfully for both lipedema and for lymphedema. it isn't widely available here in the US yet, and i'd really want to know that the surgeon really knew his stuff.

Here is the link...go to page 4, and I know there are some other articles out there about the procedure, but this gives you a place to start

http://www.humanmed.com/documents/literatur/hydro_surgery_news_3_engl.pdf

I hope this helps, and congratulations on your progress so far...it's amazing

helen

Helen-

Thanks so much for the reply!

Since I posted the question, I've come to within 39 pounds of my goal weight.

I went to see a plastic surgeon for a consultation.  He mentioned aggressive liposuction....but says he stops removal at 4 liters.  That's not a lot of fat, and below the waist is where most of mine is.

The good news is that the lymphedema mass has responded to wrapping with foam and short stretch bandages, and the mass on my thigh can't even be felt!  I have a mass at the top of my calf that seems to be more fat than lymphatic mass, and hopefully, when it's time, I can get that lipo'd down so both calves match! 

Hi Jazzbabe and congrats on your fantastic progress.

Regular liposuction will screw your legs up badly because the cannula motion and the heat can destroy the lymph passages.  Find a doctor that does the water jet assisted lipo and make sure he knows that he must go up and down and very very gently in order to give you a good result.

Make sure he knows about lipedema, and lymphema and isn't just blowing smoke up your ass. I'm so thrilled for your progress, it's amazing.

Helen