Lipedema: diagnosis & therapy
Your treatment of lipedema consultation
Attain a heightened sense of well-being
Dear patients,
welcome to the Grafental Klinik Düsseldorf.
The disease of lipedema is a burden in the lives of most women. Not only physically, but also psychologically, a lot is demanded of the women. We know that!
Our medical claim: to offer our patients highly specialized medical lipedema treatment that meets the latest therapy standards.
Our vision: to treat the disease in the best possible way, but at the same time to create an environment in which you as a patient can feel understood and comfortable. A place of therapy, but also a place where you as a patient are heard and where everything is done with great empathy to bring back your quality of life.
Our comprehensive concept: state-of-the-art and interdisciplinary medicine meets gentle procedures. Within the scope of our treatment spectrum, consultation and therapy concept, especially in the area of lipedema treatment, we are able to offer a far-reaching system at the Grafental Klinik:
- For the treatment of lipedema and fat tissue distribution disorders
- For plastic and aesthetic surgery
We will accompany you from the moment of lipedema diagnosis throughout your entire treatment period – and for us, this does not end after an operation!
And we do everything for only one thing: for you and your new quality of life.
Sincerely,
Your team at the Grafental Klinik
Who we are:
Experts for conservative and surgical treatment methods of lipedema
- Comprehensive diagnosis with laboratory diagnostics, pain analysis and ultrasound examination
- Personal advice and support before and after the operation
Surgery planning adapted to your condition – from liposuction to tightening operations, autologous fat transplantation and corrective operations
Definition
What is lipedema?
“Lipedema is a fat distribution disorder. From the experts’ point of view, it is a chronic disease of the subcutaneous fatty tissue that exclusively affects women.”
Lipedema often begins with puberty and is characterized by an increase in body proportions, mainly on the arms and legs. Unfortunately, the development of lipedema is still largely unexplained.
Experts are critical of the term “lipedema” because there is often no edema (water retention) at the beginning. In the initial stage, it is a fat tissue proliferation with an unclear cause. Current studies and research show that the fatty tissue produces hormones irregularly and a change in the tissue causes inflammation of the fat cells, which in turn causes pain and a restriction of movement.
Pressure and touch pain as well as feelings of heaviness and tension caused by water retention are characteristic. These complaints intensify with prolonged standing or sitting. Affected persons are prone to bruising from even minor bumps or pressure. This is caused by the increased fragility of the small vessels.
Our services
Which treatment methods are possible?
Water-jet assisted liposuction (WAL) uses a fine but effective fan-shaped water jet that adapts to the patient’s connective tissue to loosen the pathologically altered fatty tissue and simultaneously suction it out. “The effects we achieve in this way are remarkable,” says Dr. med. Björn Krüger: “By removing the pathologically altered layer of tissue, we achieve an immediate change in proportions and a significant improvement in pain symptoms and mobility.”
In addition to liposuction for lipedema, the Grafental Klinik also performs liposuction for “breeches”, on the flanks or on the abdomen. Especially the well-known “breeches” do not necessarily have to be caused by lipedema. Also strong increase and hormonal predisposition can lead to the fact that your body puts on more fat in some places than in others without being painful. Exercise and special diets rarely help with weight loss in certain areas of the body. Liposuction of the corresponding areas can help. Unlike liposuction for lipedema, with classic liposuction you can see the first results after a short time.
Lipofilling is the transplantation of autologous fat to specific areas of the body. At the Grafental Klinik we offer this technique mainly for the injection of scars for example. However, we can also perform breast augmentation using autologous fat transplantation. Lipofilling returns volume to the treated body regions where it is needed. While there are no studies yet on the use of the fat in lipedema, we do not recommend transplantation in the face or breast due to the evidence of inflamed fat cells and therefore do not perform the procedure in lipedema patients.
Autologous fat has several advantages over artificial agents: The body’s own fat is usually available in every patient and can be gently removed and prepared by our doctor. When injected, there is no risk of rejection or allergic reaction. Nodule formation is also avoided. This is because your body “knows” the fat and will therefore not reject it as a foreign body. The use of the body’s own cells leads to the regrowth of a large part of the implanted cells into the new body environment.
After severe weight reduction, whether by liposuction or weight loss, many people suffer from the excess skin left behind. Age, pregnancies or genes can also be reasons for excess skin that cannot be reduced by dieting and sport. Therefore, we offer tightening operations of the arms and legs (extremities). Especially after liposuction for lipedema, patients suffer from excess skin. This sometimes reminds them of the painful disease and can additionally be perceived as annoying in everyday life. For this reason, we also perform tightening operations at the Grafental Clinic in order to be able to offer our patients comprehensive care from a single source.
We often receive inquiries from women who are not satisfied with the results of liposuction they had performed at another clinic. The expectations were not met and the women lack confidence in the doctor who treated them before. They would like to have the correction performed by another surgeon. That is why we offer corrective surgery. Are you interested in correction and would like to learn more? During the preliminary consultations we will advise you, talk about your wishes and plan the corrections to be made. Together with our expert team we will help you achieve the desired result.
Lypomatosis is the increase of fatty tissue (adipose tissue hyperplasia) in certain parts of the body. Lypomatosis should not be confused with the increase of fatty tissue in lipedema. The causes of lipomatosis are not exactly clear, metabolic disorders are suspected as triggers. However, other diseases also interact with lipomatosis. Fatty tissue hyperplasia can have many causes and should be diagnosed by specialists before removal. It is important to note: lipomatosis can recur if it is not treated correctly. We perform liposuction at the Grafental Klinik using the WAL technique. Depending on the area and the amount of fat to be removed, the operation can be performed as an outpatient or inpatient treatment.
Specialist Dr. med. Björn Krüger
Dr. med. Björn Krüger offers you as a specialist for plastic and aesthetic surgery a detailed consultation and an individually adapted therapy of your disorder. He has devoted himself to lipedema surgery and thus to the treatment of a disease that is often associated not only with physical pain but also with emotional suffering, in order to give patients back a large part of their lost quality of life.
With over fifteen years of experience in the field, Dr. med. Björn Krüger strives for comprehensive and interdisciplinary treatment of patients. In addition to liposuction, a treatment plan is created that includes life with the disease after surgery.
We also support you mentally with comprehensive advice on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle, which goes far beyond basic medical care – so that you can feel good in your body.
“In the best hands…
Dr. Krüger and his entire team are very friendly. Here I find professional competence and the greatest empathy. A clinic where you feel comfortable.
A doctor who takes time for me and my condition and is committed to supporting and promoting research into lipedema and its causes.
An excellent surgeon who also provides me with comprehensive post-operative care. Here I feel in the best hands. Thank you!!!”
Experience and Reliability
Benefits of our clinic
Long-time experience
Longstanding and experienced specialist in plastic and aesthetic as well as lipedema surgery
Comprehensive approach
We understand lipedema for what it is – a chronic disease and we treat it comprehensively
Competent partners
We offer an excellent network structure and more than 20 specialist centers through our location in the Medical Center Düsseldorf.
Comprehensive advice
We advise you in all matters and support you on your new path
Inviting atmosphere
We offer rooms that invite you to relax in single or double room with a variety of dishes
Grafental Klinik in Düsseldorf, Germany
We try to make your stay in our clinic as pleasant as possible. Therefore we offer our patients modern and inviting rooms, that create a feeling of comfort rather than a typical clinical atmosphere.
