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Lipoedema surgery & treatment in Dortmund

Lipoedema can be treated surgically with liposuction, the removal of fat by suction. In connection with lipoedema, the method does not serve to lose weight. Instead, the aim is to remove pathological subcutaneous fat tissue. Whether the treatment is an option for you is something you discuss with our doctors at Westfalenklinik in Dortmund.

Who will treat you hereDr. Reifenrath, Dr. Gruner, Dr. Simidjiiska, Dr. med. univ. Zamani, Prof. Witt, Dr. Jenner
Duration of surgery
about 2 to 5 hrs
Anaesthesia
local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia
Stay in the clinic
outpatient or 1 to 2 nights
At a glance

Everything important about the procedure

Duration of surgery
about 2 to 5 hrs
Anaesthesia
local anaesthesia or general anaesthesia
Stay in the clinic
outpatient or 1 to 2 nights
Compression garment
for 6 to 8 weeks
Back out among people
after 7 to 10 days
Regeneration
4 to 6 weeks
Financing
possible through our financing partner
  • Treatment: liposuction of the abnormally increased subcutaneous fat tissue, mostly on the arms and legs
  • Procedure: mostly under general anaesthesia, outpatient or with 1 to 2 nights in the clinic
  • Aftercare: compression garments day and night for about 6 to 8 weeks

Lipoedema surgery in Dortmund: examination, operation and aftercare under one roof

We accompany your lipoedema treatment from the first examination to the final follow-up examination at Westfalenklinik in Dortmund. The specialist clinic for plastic and aesthetic surgery has been at the same location in Rosemeyerstraße for 25 years and does not depend on external surgical centres or affiliated clinics, not even for care after the operation. If you stay overnight after a larger procedure, you are looked after by our own state-qualified staff trained in emergency medicine. A personal contact person is there for you throughout all appointments.

Westfalenklinik is located at Rosemeyerstraße 2–4, directly on the B1/A40 near the Signal Iduna Park. By car, leave the B1 at the Dortmund-Hombruch exit, turn right into Wittekindstraße and after 700 m right into Rosemeyerstraße; parking is on the building’s parking deck directly in front of the entrance. By public transport, take the U45 from the main station to Stadtgarten and then the U42 to Theodor-Fliedner-Heim.

This is why people decide on lipoedema removal

  • being able to be more active again, with fewer restrictions in everyday life
  • Relief of physical complaints and pain
  • Balancing the body shape of the arms and legs
  • Relief from the psychological strain caused by the condition

If you suffer from lipoedema, a disorder of fat distribution mainly in the limbs (arms and legs), the burden can be great. It is not only the outward appearance that noticeably restricts your quality of life and your self-esteem. It is above all the associated health burdens, first and foremost the extremely unpleasant pain, that make life with lipoedema very difficult. Responsible for this is the rising pressure in the tissue caused by increasing, indeed proliferating, fat cells and continuously increasing water retention in the subcutaneous tissue. Lipoedema removal is intended to reduce this pressure: afterwards, arms and legs can feel lighter, skin tension can decrease, and the pain caused by the pressure can be relieved. How much the complaints and body shape change after the healing phase varies from person to person and depends, among other things, on the stage and extent of the condition.

Treating fat oedema by liposuction of the abdomen, legs and arms

If fat cells have become stubbornly lodged in the subcutaneous tissue, perhaps even with inflammation, surgical removal by liposuction is sometimes the remaining way to relieve the associated pain and to bring the affected body regions back into shape. Hormonal influences, fateful life events or genetic disposition are most often responsible for the formation of lipoedema. The associated and increasing risk of developing lipoedema is often not foreseen in advance, because the development is gradual and not infrequently takes place over many years. As a result, in most cases the consequences of lipoedema also become noticeable only slowly, until medical treatment becomes necessary. Lipoedema can develop in many body regions, for example on the abdomen, legs, arms and other body regions, and can also be treated there. However, lipoedema removal is not suitable for weight reduction. If your goal is to lose weight, you should, where appropriate, choose one of our other treatment alternatives such as the gastric balloon or the POSE procedure.

How does liposuction work?

In the film from Westfalenklinik, Dr. med. Christian Josephs clearly explains the procedure, options, limits and healing of liposuction, directly from the operating theatre. You can find the film in our media library.

Three women in sports bras and leggings, illustrative image for lipoedema treatment

The typical 3 stages of lipoedema

The progression and severity of lipoedema, and with it the impairment that lipoedema causes to the body of our patients, can be outlined in 3 different stages:

  1. Lipoedema

    Stage 1

    In the first stage, a tendency towards so-called saddlebags begins to show. The skin texture is usually still fairly even and smooth. The subcutaneous tissue is thickened in places but still feels soft overall. Structures that feel like small beads can often be felt at the knee and on the inner thighs.

  2. Lipoedema

    Stage 2

    In the second stage, the saddlebags mentioned are already much more pronounced. The surface of the skin is marked by large dimples and lumps. Their size can easily reach that of walnuts, but can also well be that of a mandarin or an apple. The subcutaneous tissue thickens markedly and can be felt over a larger area, while the skin texture is still soft.

  3. Lipoedema

    Stage 3

    In the third stage, the legs have increased considerably in circumference. The subcutaneous tissue is now also so markedly thickened that the skin above it feels very firm and hardened. The inner thighs are marked by coarse to deforming fat pads. This is referred to as the formation of overhanging tissue folds, which in particularly pronounced cases can reach down to the ankles.

Diagram in cross-section:SkinFatty tissueLumpsSmall nodulesMuscle

This development is often accompanied by outward physical impairment. For example, wounds from chafing of the skin can develop at the knee joints and inner thighs. It is also not uncommon for malalignment of the legs (“knock knees”) to develop due to the high load on the joints. Inflammations (for example erysipelas) can also be associated with this; they are not only very painful but can also trigger bodily reactions up to physical weakness with fever.

We assess the extent and stage of your lipoedema during the examination at the consultation at Westfalenklinik in Dortmund. You can read more about the stages in the article What stages of lipoedema are there?

Aims of lipoedema surgery

  • Removal of abnormally increased subcutaneous fat tissue
  • Relief of pain and recurring complaints
  • Balancing the proportions of the arms and legs
  • More mobility and a more active everyday life

You would like lipoedema treatment and are convinced that a surgical solution by liposuction is the right decision for you? Then you should request information from us now and arrange a no-obligation appointment for a first consultation.

Lipoedema surgery at Westfalenklinik, clearly explained

In principle, removing lipoedema is similar to the procedure of liposuction. First, the areas to be treated are marked on the limbs affected by lipoedema (usually the arms and/or legs, but sometimes the hips, abdomen or shoulder area are also affected). Lipoedema treatment is usually carried out under general anaesthesia. At the start, a tumescent solution is injected into the treatment areas, with the help of which the deposited lumps of fat are then suctioned out of the subcutaneous fat tissue. At Westfalenklinik we use a vibration-assisted technique that is intended to make the suction of the abnormal fat pads easier and to reduce injuries to the surrounding tissue. To recover after the procedure, you usually stay with us in the clinic for 1 to 2 nights for observation. After only smaller procedures you can go home the same day. To support the healing process, a compression girdle must be worn in every case for a period of at least 6 weeks.

Procedure

Liposuction for lipoedema in three steps

What happens in the tissue during and after the operation, shown schematically in cross-section through skin, fat and muscle.

Cross-section through skin, fat and muscle, a fine cannula introduces fluid into the fat tissue

Tumescenceat the start

Once the areas have been marked, a tumescent solution is introduced into the treatment areas. With its help, the fat pads are then suctioned out of the subcutaneous fat tissue.

Anaesthesia
usually general anaesthesia, sometimes local
Access
small punctures
Cross-section through skin, fat and muscle, the cannula suctions fat tissue along its path

Suctionvibration-assisted

The abnormal fat tissue is suctioned out through the small punctures. The vibration-assisted technique is intended to make the suction easier and to reduce injuries to the surrounding tissue.

Duration of surgery
about 2 to 5 hours
Scars
about 4 to 5 mm
Cross-section through skin, fat and muscle, a compression garment presses evenly on the skin above less fat tissue

Compressionafterwards

After the procedure you wear compression garments, day and night. They are intended to prevent dimples and unevenness of the skin surface and to counteract accumulations of water or lymph in the tissue.

Duration
about 6 to 8 weeks
Stay in the clinic
outpatient or 1 to 2 nights

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What amount of fat can be removed as part of lipoedema treatment?

The amount of fat tissue suctioned out also varies depending on the extent of the treatment and the number of body areas affected by lipoedema. It may well be that in a small treatment on the arms only a few hundred millilitres of fat need to be suctioned out. However, if lipoedema is at a very advanced stage and has possibly already spread to several body regions, the amount of fat to be suctioned out can also be several litres. In such a case, it may then be necessary to split the treatment into several sessions, because your safety as a patient always takes priority. We clarify with you during our first consultation exactly how much fat tissue needs to be removed in your case. In doing so, we carefully weigh up our treatment recommendation for your case.

In some particularly complex cases, it may become necessary to tighten the skin tissue following liposuction. Your treating doctor will also inform you whether tightening may become necessary after your lipoedema removal; more on this under Skin tightening after lipoedema surgery.

Four women in swimwear laughing with raised arms, symbolic image on the costs of lipoedema surgery

What does lipoedema surgery cost in Dortmund? Costs and financing

The costs of lipoedema treatment by liposuction can vary greatly depending on the extent and number of procedures. The more advanced the stage of lipoedema and thus the more complex the treatment, the more costly the procedure. This can be the case, for example, when several body regions on the arms, abdomen and legs are affected by lipoedema. In other cases, there may be no pathological lipoedema, and a less expensive treatment alternative can be used: a simpler outpatient liposuction or, for purely localised fat deposits, a tummy tuck, thigh lift or upper arm lift. We will be happy to prepare a no-obligation treatment quote following your first consultation with our doctors, in which we can also inform you about possible financing models.

The Westfalenklinik’s treatment prices are final prices including statutory VAT. Overnight stay and meals, follow-up treatments and the costs of the anaesthetist are not added afterwards. Financing is possible through our financing partner, more on this under Financing your treatment.

Under certain conditions, German statutory or private health insurance can cover the costs of liposuction for lipoedema. You can read which conditions apply in the article Lipoedema surgery: when does German statutory health insurance cover the costs?

How lipoedema develops and what risks are associated with it

Lipoedema is understood to mean the abnormal increase of fat tissue in the subcutaneous layer. Typically, this happens through an enlargement and increase in fat cells combined with more or less pronounced water retention. Lipoedema can only occur from the onset of puberty and mainly affects women. Most patients are between 20 and 35 years old, although the physiological causes of lipoedema have still not been fully clarified. However, science sheds light on the most common connections:

  1. 01

    Lipoedema after hormonal changes

    Women are particularly at risk of developing lipoedema because typical events in a woman’s life favour its formation. These include pregnancies, the menopause and classic gynaecological procedures such as removal of the ovaries, fallopian tubes or uterus. All of these events change the hormonal balance drastically and can thus lastingly intensify existing, less pronounced lipoedema.

    A special role is attributed to the female hormone oestrogen. This is because fat cells react particularly strongly to oestrogen via very specific receptors on their surface. Ultimately, the formation of lipoedema in the few men affected can also be attributed to a hormonal imbalance. Liver disease in connection with excessive alcohol consumption, for instance, can be a cause. But men undergoing hormone therapy to treat other conditions are also particularly susceptible to lipoedema.

  2. 02

    Lipoedema due to stress and an unhealthy lifestyle

    But particularly severe moments of stress that are emotionally distressing can also be a cause of lipoedema. Separation from a partner, other tragic family misfortunes or shocks caused by accidents or illness can be associated with it.

    In addition, it can be observed that in many cases the development of lipoedema can also be linked to lifestyle. Lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet and behaviour that puts particular strain on the body contribute to an increased risk of lipoedema. Incidentally, weight has only a limited influence on the formation of lipoedema: both thin and obese people can easily suffer from developing lipoedema.

  3. 03

    Hereditary formation of lipoedema

    It is not uncommon for lipoedema to be passed on from generation to generation. It is assumed that the genes that control the structure of the blood vessels play a role in this.

  4. 04

    Lipoedema due to vascular damage in the subcutaneous tissue

    Finally, vascular damage in the subcutaneous tissue, resulting from a malfunction of the vessels, for example in the course of inflammation, is also named as a cause of the fat tissue disorder of classic lipoedema. This can be compared to a leak in the body’s vessels in the affected area, from which fluid then escapes into the subcutaneous tissue. This can result in the formation of lipoedema. This explanation is also plausible because lipoedema patients are significantly more prone to bruising.

Who will treat you here

The whole team

Frequently asked questions

Why is a personal consultation so important before lipoedema treatment?

We know that, as a lipoedema patient, you have probably already sought many ways to deal with your condition. We therefore know only too well that we are often not your first port of call. That is precisely why it is important to talk to our doctors about your history so far. This enables us to take an accurate medical history and tailor the appropriate therapy to you. During our first consultation, we measure your body and, where necessary, carry out further physical examinations in order to assess the extent and stage of your lipoedema and to determine the effort involved in a possible surgical procedure. At Westfalenklinik, it is important for lipoedema removal too that you are fully informed about the possibilities, opportunities and limits as early as the first consultation, learn about all the advantages, but also get to know the medical risks. Part of our physical examination will also be whether so-called lymphoedema, or more precisely lipolymphoedema, is present. This is lipoedema with additional water retention. This is important because in such a case we must treat you separately and, where necessary, care for you in coordination with doctors from other specialties before the abnormal fat tissue can be removed.

What happens after the consultation on lipoedema removal?

Quick decisions are often not the best ones. Take sufficient time to think it over and please carefully weigh up the information on your desired procedure that you received in our consultation. Of course, Westfalenklinik is also there to support you with advice and assistance after the consultation. Once you have decided on lipoedema removal by liposuction, we make all the preparations and can welcome you for your treatment at Westfalenklinik shortly afterwards.

What does the course of lipoedema treatment look like?

On the day of treatment we welcome you at Westfalenklinik in the morning and give you all the time you need to settle in. After admission, there is once again a final conversation with your treating doctor. In most cases, lipoedema removal is carried out under general anaesthesia, sometimes under local anaesthesia. Depending on the extent, you can leave the clinic again on the same day. After larger treatments we keep you with us in our spacious patient rooms for 1 to 2 nights for your own safety.

Does lipoedema treatment actually leave scars?

Yes, small scars of about 4 to 5 mm remain where the cannulas are inserted and, as a rule, fade over time. Laypeople often mistake them for small moles. Large incisions, whose scars might show in a swimsuit or bikini, for example, are not required for lipoedema removal. How scars develop varies from person to person.

How long does healing take and why do I have to wear compression garments?

Healing after your lipoedema treatment begins during your short stay at Westfalenklinik. Once you are back home, please continue to take it easy and do not return to work straight away. We strongly recommend that you wear compression garments both day and night to support the result of the treatment. You can stop wearing them after about 6 to 8 weeks. They are so important because they are intended to prevent dents or unevenness forming on the surface of the skin. They are also intended to counteract the retention of water or lymph fluid. Despite the compression garments, in many cases you can go out among people again and return to work about 2 weeks after lipoedema removal.

What does lipoedema surgery cost in Dortmund?

The costs depend on the extent of the treatment and the number of procedures, that is, on how far the lipoedema has progressed and which body regions are affected. After your first consultation at Westfalenklinik you will receive a treatment quote with no obligation. The prices are final prices including statutory VAT; financing is possible through our financing partner. Whether health insurance can cover the costs depends on certain requirements.

Where in Dortmund does the lipoedema surgery take place?

Consultation, surgery and aftercare take place at Westfalenklinik, Rosemeyerstr. 2–4, 44139 Dortmund. The clinic is located directly on the B1/A40, very close to the Signal Iduna Park. By car, leave the B1 at the Dortmund-Hombruch exit and park on the building’s parking deck; by public transport, take the U45 from the main station to Stadtgarten and then the U42 to Theodor-Fliedner-Heim.

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Consultation, procedure and aftercare in one place: at the Westfalenklinik on Rosemeyerstraße.

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