First Lipedema World Congress

The first "Lipedema World Congress" took place in Potsdam, right on the doorstep of our capital, Berlin.

For three days, international experts from the fields of treatment, research, and patient advocacy came together to exchange views on the latest developments and treatment options for lipedema.

Exchange on the Latest Developments and Treatment Options for Lipedema

Patient advocacy groups were able to present the current situation in their respective countries. Compared to Germany, this often looks considerably more sobering, particularly when it comes to care structures and cost coverage by statutory health insurance.

In the research field, a great deal of data was published and discussed - always in search of evidence, meaning proof for the underlying theories. One finding was that, in the field of nutritional medicine, the so-called ketogenic diet has more benefits than previously assumed. Findings like these matter for everyday clinical practice, since we can only truly recommend what we know - not simply what we believe.

From the perspective of the med-plast surgeons, the picture looked quite different when it came to surgical treatment. Here, our plastic surgery specialists encountered some completely opposing treatment approaches. For example, one surgeon explained that he only operates on one leg at a time, treating the other leg in a separate, second surgery. Another colleague, by contrast, reported an average lipedema surgery duration of five and a half hours. The next surgeon shared his experience of first infiltrating 10 liters of fluid into the legs, then waiting a full hour before starting the actual surgery. Which approach - and which lipedema surgery method - is best? In our view, there's still a great deal of surgical exchange needed here.

Takeaways From the LWC

Overall, the Lipedema World Congress was a good step toward further bringing together the various international players working on lipedema. International networking will significantly accelerate both scientific progress and surgical expertise in the future.

Overall, there's still far too little knowledge and understanding of lipedema among the general, unaffected population. On the side of those affected, we're talking about millions of women dealing with pain, restricted mobility, and an overall reduced quality of life. Yet from the perspective of the med-plast specialists, lipedema is actually straightforward to diagnose and can be treated very effectively, both conservatively and surgically.

Alongside the congress, the "Lipedema World Alliance" also held its meeting, in which Dr. Labschies is represented as a founding member. A major achievement credited to the working group led by Prof. Michelini from Rome is the WHO's recognition of lipedema as a medical condition.

LWC Photo Gallery