OUR SERVICES
Lipedema
Dr Tawfik Sefrioui is one of the few international surgeons highly experienced in the treatment of Lipedema and the only surgeon offering Lipedema treatment in Morocco
Dr Tawfik performs the ‘gold standard’ of lipedema treatment, combining liposuction with Bodyjet technology, achieving scarless skin tightening for even advanced stages of lipedema.
What is Lipedema?
Lipedema (painful fat syndrome) is a chronic disease that occurs mostly in females. It is characterized by bilateral, symmetrical fatty tissue excess, mainly in the hip region, upper and lower leg areas and combined with a tendency for leg swelling that worsens with standing. In male patients’ Lipedema is extremely rare. Lipedema is often misdiagnosed as bilateral lower extremity lymphedema or as simple obesity.
LIPEDEMA
Stages of Lipedema
Stage 01
- Skin is smooth
- Swelling increases during the day and may resolve with rest and elevation
- Responds well to treatment
Stage 02
- Skin has indentations
- Lipomas may develop
- Eczema and erysipelas may be present
- Swelling increases during the day, with less resolution after rest and elevation
- May respond well to treatment
Stage 03
- Hardened connective tissue/fibrosclerosis
- Swelling consistently present
- Large masses of skin and fat that overhang
- Less responsive to some treatment modalities
Stage 04
- Fibrosclerosis, possibly elephantiasis
- Swelling consistently present
- Larger masses of skin and fat that overhang
- Also known as Lipo-Lymphedema
- Less responsive to some treatment modalities
My Story
Symptoms
Lipedema occurs because of the way that fat (adipose tissue) and its supporting connective tissues are distributed under your skin.
Fat is distributed unevenly in your legs and buttocks instead of in a regular pattern. Commonly there is a fatty area on the inside of the knees and the outside of the hips. As Lipedema develops, dimpling of the skin in the affected areas may be noticed.
If you are affected by Lipedema:
- your legs appear symmetrically swollen – swelling can occur from the hips down to the ankles and your legs appear column-like; the feet are not usually affected
- affected areas feel ‘spongy’ and cool, and the skin is generally soft and may appear dimply
- you bruise easily in the affected areas
- you may have small varicose or spider veins in the affected areas
- your legs and other affected areas are sensitive to touch and pressure
- your legs and other affected areas hurt and feel uncomfortable – swelling may become worse in the afternoon, evening, after activity or in hot or humid weather.
People with Lipedema may find it difficult to walk or to participate in physical activities,
exercise and other aspects of everyday life.
Restrictions in mobility may contribute to people with Lipedema developing low self-esteem and other problems such as anxiety, as well as restricting their social life. Buying clothes is often difficult for people with Lipedema, as their upper and lower body are very different in size.
My Story
Treatment
Liposuction as a treatment for Lipedema was developed in Germany in the late 1980s and is now recognised as the most common management procedure for this disease.
The most effective treatment of Lipedema is integrated treatment using water-assisted liposuction (WAL) with Argon Plasma and Jplasma.
Very few surgeons have the knowledge, technical skills and experience of Lipedema treatment for patients. It is a specialised technique that requires years of experience to learn and to perform without complication.
Lipedema is sometimes accompanied by co-morbidities, often secondary diseases, which complicate the patient’s health. Articular and venous diseases, lymphedema, obesity, and psychosocial disorders are often seen with Lipedema patients. Medications for pain control, anxiety and depression are common prescriptions in this population. As liposuction is a surgery and all surgeries come with risk, all patients should consult their primary care physician for an official diagnosis before surgery is recommended.