
Lipedema - Stage I:
Lipedema - Stage II:
Lipedema - Stage III:
Lipedema - Stage IV:
What we gain in terms of knowledge from the patient histories is that a definite progression of lipedema in its intensity cannot be predicted. Changes in the hormonal balance appear to play a fundamental role in the development and further progression of the disease. Correlations are frequently found with puberty, taking the contraceptive pill, thyroid disorders, pregnancies and menopause.
What is important for oneself: if I have lipedema, I must not fall into a panic. Generations before me were already able to live with it. My advantage is that medicine now understands this clinical picture better and keeps approaches to solutions ready to alleviate my suffering.
The initial diagnosis is frequently an incidental finding by specialists in the fields of phlebology, vascular surgery and gynecology. For self-diagnosis there are now well-standardized questionnaires regarding the patient's complaints and the actual impression of the examiner. Feel free to use our lipedema self-test on this website. Important here is an objective approach; there is no "yes-and-no" — so if something does not apply 100%, then it is a "no".
There are various self‑tests online—feel free to try ours at our self-test.. Those affected are often diagnosed with obesity (adiposity), which can be confusing. Lipedema, however, frequently occurs in parallel with obesity. Typical “caliber jumps” between trunk and legs or arms are then harder to detect. To differentiate in such cases, we use the waist‑to‑height ratio and waist‑to‑hip ratio. A helpful test is the pinch test: with lipedema, the outer thighs are more sensitive than the inner thighs, whereas in healthy people the inner thighs are more sensitive.
Cellulite refers to an irregular skin surface, primarily due to the parallel arrangement of collagen fibers in women. Like lipedema, cellulite can also affect young, athletic women. In lipedema, however, there is hypersensitivity and a disproportionate increase in circumference.
According to current knowledge, patients with lipedema benefit from early surgery, that is, from suctioning out the diseased fat cells. This is simply due to the protection of the tissue, which is then not permanently exposed to a capillary leak. However, one can definitely not speak of imminent danger!
In my opinion, doctor and patient decide on the right date together. I consider indications of disease dynamics, that is, of a rapid change, to be meaningful. Let's not kid ourselves, the costs for surgical therapy of lipedema are considerable. Unfortunately, very few of those in need of treatment have saved the money for it, and often the frustration over a lack of cost coverage by the health insurers is high. I suspect that this is where the crux of the matter lies. It simply cannot be said which lipedema exhibits high disease dynamics and which does not. Thus it also cannot be said that every patient generally benefits from early surgery. The health insurers see it this way too.
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