I was fortunate enough to attend the Lipoedema conference on the 24th June in Reading this year. It was well attended and very informative for networking and sharing experiences with other professionals.
It was re-iterated that not much information was available for patients with the condition and still many GP are misdiagnosing the condition as obesity. The training course offered by Lipoedema.co.uk has however had overwhelming response from GPs in getting the word out.
Many GP are now recognizing the condition and referring patients in the right direction.
Some interesting data were produced by a German clinic on the success of tumescent liposuction including VASER and the treatment of Lipoedema. It remains the only real way of preventing the condition from worsening especially when caught in the early stages (stage I or II).
Stage III requires more interventional treatments such as skin excision and reconstruction.
The key is to diagnose it in the early stages and manage it appropriately. This includes MLD and wearing hosiery.
www.Lipoedema.co.uk
www.MLDuk.org.uk
http://www.lipedema-simplified.org
Henrietta@MLDLondon.co.uk
Showing posts with label lipoedema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lipoedema. Show all posts
Thursday, 21 July 2016
Thursday, 23 June 2016
VASER 360 degree legs (circumferential)
We have had a resurgence of requests for the circumferential treatment of legs/ thighs. Our success rate has been really good.
With the majority of patients also having mild lipoedema we always work hand in hand with MLD therapists.
Some of the excellent practitioners we refer to are Henrietta Cassar from MLDLondon , Julie Bradford and Petra Erving, Kimberley Harrington, Helen Fox
It really is vital to find a good therapist that will see you through the recovery period.
Obviously the more fatty deposit there is the more impressive the results will be. We can however also make smaller thighs look more shapely by making them more proportionate.
The important factor is the skin texture and elasticity. If this is not ideal then any removal of tissue may result in loss of skin turgor and resultant laxity. Then one would need to consider a thigh-lift which is more complex and involves excising skin and pulling the remaining tissue tighter by stitching it back together.
We would certainly recommend this option if the VASER liposuction is not suitable.
In all cases it is important to maintain realistic expectations. We are not magicians and cannot create something out of nothing.......
In most cases we can create something more shapely that will fit much more comfortably in clothes especially around the hips and thighs.
With the majority of patients also having mild lipoedema we always work hand in hand with MLD therapists.
Some of the excellent practitioners we refer to are Henrietta Cassar from MLDLondon , Julie Bradford and Petra Erving, Kimberley Harrington, Helen Fox
It really is vital to find a good therapist that will see you through the recovery period.
Obviously the more fatty deposit there is the more impressive the results will be. We can however also make smaller thighs look more shapely by making them more proportionate.
The important factor is the skin texture and elasticity. If this is not ideal then any removal of tissue may result in loss of skin turgor and resultant laxity. Then one would need to consider a thigh-lift which is more complex and involves excising skin and pulling the remaining tissue tighter by stitching it back together.
We would certainly recommend this option if the VASER liposuction is not suitable.
In all cases it is important to maintain realistic expectations. We are not magicians and cannot create something out of nothing.......
In most cases we can create something more shapely that will fit much more comfortably in clothes especially around the hips and thighs.
Tuesday, 16 September 2014
Lipoedema, lipedema
Once again I have seen numerous patients in the last few weeks that have mild to moderate cases of lipoedema and have been seen by several GP's and plastic surgeons who fail to recognise the condition.
This is very frustrating for patients as they are continuously asked to lose weight. LIPOEDEMA does not respond to dietary weight loss or exercise.
Patients find it such a relief when they are told of the condition and informed on what they have and why they themselves cannot change their shape. They find it a relief that they have not failed in attempting to change their body-shape, but that they have this condition which prevents this.
I can only hope that the awareness and acceptance of Lipoedema improves in the medical circles.
Some help forums -
www.Lipoedemaladies.com Facebook - Lipoedema ladies webpage
www.Lipoedema.co.uk
I cannot strongly recommend you do as much research as possible and also get in contact with a MLD therapist in your area www.MLDuk.org.uk
Below is a video of one of the options to improve the appearance of Lipoedema
This is very frustrating for patients as they are continuously asked to lose weight. LIPOEDEMA does not respond to dietary weight loss or exercise.
Patients find it such a relief when they are told of the condition and informed on what they have and why they themselves cannot change their shape. They find it a relief that they have not failed in attempting to change their body-shape, but that they have this condition which prevents this.
I can only hope that the awareness and acceptance of Lipoedema improves in the medical circles.
Some help forums -
www.Lipoedemaladies.com Facebook - Lipoedema ladies webpage
www.Lipoedema.co.uk
I cannot strongly recommend you do as much research as possible and also get in contact with a MLD therapist in your area www.MLDuk.org.uk
Below is a video of one of the options to improve the appearance of Lipoedema
Come see our website www.DrWolf.com
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Cellulite
This condition is probably the bain of many a women's life.....
The underlying architecture of the subcutaneous fat is the cause of the visible change. There is herniation of fat deposits in between fibrous connective tissue strands. Almost like a honey cone where the honey represents the fat and the cone the fibrous septa.
I
get asked about solutions and treatments for this skin appearance on a
daily basis. It rears its head in many forms and severities from mild
dimpling to severe orange-peel effect.
mild cellulite only on compression visible without compression
mild cellulite only on compression visible without compression
The underlying architecture of the subcutaneous fat is the cause of the visible change. There is herniation of fat deposits in between fibrous connective tissue strands. Almost like a honey cone where the honey represents the fat and the cone the fibrous septa.
CELLULITE is almost exclusively found in women, although occasionally seen in men on hormone treatment. We see it most commonly in post-pubescent women.
Scientific evidence is still scanty on the exact cause and related factors, but we know that oestrogen hormone plays a large role. Other factors include genetics, lifestyle, diet, weight (esp. raised BMI). Some of these factors we can obviously change, but others not.
Treatments
At this stage there are no specific treatments that can conclusively eliminate cellulite. External treatments that promise to eliminate cellulite are not very successful and result in many post-treatment tears and disappointment. The vital ingredient of any cellulite-busting treatment will be to remove the fibrous septae.
I am working on a novel treatment that is minimally invasive and involves separating the fibrous strands under local anaesthetic. The results look promising, but we are waiting for longer term results to offer this treatment confidently. WATCH THIS SPACE...........
Come see our website www.DrWolf.com
Tuesday, 7 August 2012
360 Degree Legs with VASER
Liposuction of the thighs is often limited to the outer thigh, buttocks crease and inner thigh. Liposuction surgeons have been apprehensive in treating the legs circumferentially in fear of leaving tram tracks or furrows and dimples.
With the VASER system the emulsification allows for the fat to be liquified before being suctioned out. This allows for smoother results and appearances with less chance of dimples and irregularities.
Dr Wolf has now started performing 360 degree legs with the VASER system with stunning results.
Most women will find that its not only their outer or inner thighs, but also their knees, and buttocks crease that are a problem. By treating the legs circumferentially we get an even and smooth result.
Makes buying jeans much easier..........
This treatment is great for patients with an element of Lipoedema which usually results in deposition of fat in a circumferential pattern along the legs.
With the VASER system the emulsification allows for the fat to be liquified before being suctioned out. This allows for smoother results and appearances with less chance of dimples and irregularities.
Dr Wolf has now started performing 360 degree legs with the VASER system with stunning results.
Most women will find that its not only their outer or inner thighs, but also their knees, and buttocks crease that are a problem. By treating the legs circumferentially we get an even and smooth result.
Makes buying jeans much easier..........
This treatment is great for patients with an element of Lipoedema which usually results in deposition of fat in a circumferential pattern along the legs.
Come see our website www.DrWolf.com
Friday, 27 April 2012
Lipedema- My VASER experience
My VASER experience
Six months ago I had never heard of
lipedema. As far as I was concerned, I was an overweight woman, with fat legs,
who in spite of 43 years of trying to lose weight, had never managed to do so.
In addition to being fat, therefore, I carried the burden of my self-perception
as being weak-willed and incapable of exercising control over my body, an
attitude that spilled over and profoundly influenced almost every area of the
rest of my life.
I had come to the Private Clinic because I wanted a breast reduction having heard about the miraculous Vaser technique, which seemed almost too good to be true: a short, minimally invasive procedure under local anaesthetic, which promised minimal downtime… However during the breast consultation I realized that this might also work for my fat legs and so it was, when Dr Wolf was assessing me for treatment, I first heard about lipedema.
It is not an overstatement to say that day was one of the most significant days of my life. Internet searches for lipedema yielded results that were simultaneously desperate, depressing, liberating and yet hopeful. Depressing and desperate because nine out of ten websites delivered the news that it was a chronic and incurable condition of unknown cause. Liberating because at a stroke I realized I was the victim, not the perpetrator, of my affliction (removing guilt at a stroke). And hopeful because one in ten sources mentioned Vaser, or tumescent liposuction: a new technique, which was apparently ‘transforming’ the lives of some lipedema sufferers.
It is hard to know where to begin to describe the experience of the last 4 months in which so many physical, psychological and emotional changes have taken place. I’ll begin with the experience of surgery itself: I have had 5 procedures in 4 separate operations over 4 months. The experience of Vaser itself is, as promised, short, minimally invasive, minimally uncomfortable and carried out by medical teams who are quite exceptional in terms of the quality of care, technical expertise and follow up treatment they provide. Within half an hour, a double chin I had hated since my teens, was removed. Within a further two hours, the breasts I had loathed since my early 40s, and which had ballooned since the menopause, were considerably reduced (the most marked result being that I no longer walk with a stoop, a life long affliction I had assumed was a spinal deformity). The tum which had grown since the menopause was radically reduced within 2 hours, and the same for thighs and calves (in addition to lipedema, the latter were very disfigured in an RTA I had when I was 17. Selective fat removal has rendered them almost symmetrical and looking far more like normal legs. Again, all under local anaesthetic and within the space of less than 2 hours).
At this juncture it is worth remarking on how, in just one patient, this extraordinary treatment has alleviated such a wide range of life-long afflictions, resulting from such various causes as the menopause, an RTA, the condition of lipedema and (in the case of my double chin) some unfortunate genes!
My recovery from each of these procedures has been very smooth. I liken the operations to rather long trips to the dentist (although unlike the dentist, you can chat!) and the recovery period is comparable with getting over a mild cold or having a period. I had to wear a compression garment for 2 weeks, take a course of antibiotics and have some (very enjoyable!) MLD. Post-operative pain was minimal and alleviated with an occasional paracetamol.
Visually, I look very different. I never wanted to be a catwalk model or an athlete – that’s not what I wanted from my body – but I now look OK, and looking OK is not something I take for granted! Having spent over 4 decades feeling I was deficient and abnormal, looking OK is a HUGE thing for me, and precisely what I wanted to achieve. I used to think I didn’t fit in and my physical problems were in the foreground of people’s perception of me. Now I look in a mirror and am happy with what I see, which means I can get on with my life and my relationships with other. I’m OK!
Looking OK, means that the psycho-emotional jumble of self-deprecating thoughts and feelings have been defused. It is impossible to overstate just how significant this is. It is fair to say that even if I hadn’t had Vaser, the guilt about my condition would have gone, at a stroke, with Dr Wolf’s diagnosis. But with Vaser I find I am more psychologically outgoing. Unconsciously, as the condition took hold and became compounded, post-menopause, with larger breasts and tum, I had let friendships lapse: I have now picked up the threads of some treasured old friends and have many social events planned, which I would otherwise have avoided.
I don’t quite know where the energy has come from. Yes, I have lost bulk and feel more psychologically inclined to move and be active, but the resultant energy seems above and beyond these causes. Whatever the cause, this has been a fantastic result and find I DO so much more of everything – gardening, housework and so on. With the increased activity is a further enhanced sense of wellbeing. At one point I was doing so much that my son asked if anything was the matter with me, so unaccustomed is he to having an active mum!
The Vaser results have given me a huge boost, which I am building on with changes in lifestyle. I am learning more about lipedema and eating better, plus taking regular exercise. I recognize that these choices will support my overall health now and into the future.
Speaking of which, in 2 days time I will arrive at the milestone of my 60th birthday with all that that bespeaks. I shudder to think how I would have felt at this juncture in my life, had I not discovered Vaser. My physical condition would have been unaltered, and I would have hovered in that horrible hinterland of guilt, desperation and false hope. I now feel as though my life has just begun. I have the energy and self-confidence to face the future with enthusiasm, excitement, curiosity and a sense of physical and mental well-being. It is true to say that I feel healthier, in every sense, than I felt at any of my other milestone birthdays.
I cannot recommend Vaser too highly and while I realize that results doubtless vary with the individual, dependent on all sorts of factors, not least patient expectations, I am happy for my results to be used to help others who are in a similar position to where I found myself 6 months ago.
I had come to the Private Clinic because I wanted a breast reduction having heard about the miraculous Vaser technique, which seemed almost too good to be true: a short, minimally invasive procedure under local anaesthetic, which promised minimal downtime… However during the breast consultation I realized that this might also work for my fat legs and so it was, when Dr Wolf was assessing me for treatment, I first heard about lipedema.
It is not an overstatement to say that day was one of the most significant days of my life. Internet searches for lipedema yielded results that were simultaneously desperate, depressing, liberating and yet hopeful. Depressing and desperate because nine out of ten websites delivered the news that it was a chronic and incurable condition of unknown cause. Liberating because at a stroke I realized I was the victim, not the perpetrator, of my affliction (removing guilt at a stroke). And hopeful because one in ten sources mentioned Vaser, or tumescent liposuction: a new technique, which was apparently ‘transforming’ the lives of some lipedema sufferers.
It is hard to know where to begin to describe the experience of the last 4 months in which so many physical, psychological and emotional changes have taken place. I’ll begin with the experience of surgery itself: I have had 5 procedures in 4 separate operations over 4 months. The experience of Vaser itself is, as promised, short, minimally invasive, minimally uncomfortable and carried out by medical teams who are quite exceptional in terms of the quality of care, technical expertise and follow up treatment they provide. Within half an hour, a double chin I had hated since my teens, was removed. Within a further two hours, the breasts I had loathed since my early 40s, and which had ballooned since the menopause, were considerably reduced (the most marked result being that I no longer walk with a stoop, a life long affliction I had assumed was a spinal deformity). The tum which had grown since the menopause was radically reduced within 2 hours, and the same for thighs and calves (in addition to lipedema, the latter were very disfigured in an RTA I had when I was 17. Selective fat removal has rendered them almost symmetrical and looking far more like normal legs. Again, all under local anaesthetic and within the space of less than 2 hours).
At this juncture it is worth remarking on how, in just one patient, this extraordinary treatment has alleviated such a wide range of life-long afflictions, resulting from such various causes as the menopause, an RTA, the condition of lipedema and (in the case of my double chin) some unfortunate genes!
My recovery from each of these procedures has been very smooth. I liken the operations to rather long trips to the dentist (although unlike the dentist, you can chat!) and the recovery period is comparable with getting over a mild cold or having a period. I had to wear a compression garment for 2 weeks, take a course of antibiotics and have some (very enjoyable!) MLD. Post-operative pain was minimal and alleviated with an occasional paracetamol.
Visually, I look very different. I never wanted to be a catwalk model or an athlete – that’s not what I wanted from my body – but I now look OK, and looking OK is not something I take for granted! Having spent over 4 decades feeling I was deficient and abnormal, looking OK is a HUGE thing for me, and precisely what I wanted to achieve. I used to think I didn’t fit in and my physical problems were in the foreground of people’s perception of me. Now I look in a mirror and am happy with what I see, which means I can get on with my life and my relationships with other. I’m OK!
Looking OK, means that the psycho-emotional jumble of self-deprecating thoughts and feelings have been defused. It is impossible to overstate just how significant this is. It is fair to say that even if I hadn’t had Vaser, the guilt about my condition would have gone, at a stroke, with Dr Wolf’s diagnosis. But with Vaser I find I am more psychologically outgoing. Unconsciously, as the condition took hold and became compounded, post-menopause, with larger breasts and tum, I had let friendships lapse: I have now picked up the threads of some treasured old friends and have many social events planned, which I would otherwise have avoided.
I don’t quite know where the energy has come from. Yes, I have lost bulk and feel more psychologically inclined to move and be active, but the resultant energy seems above and beyond these causes. Whatever the cause, this has been a fantastic result and find I DO so much more of everything – gardening, housework and so on. With the increased activity is a further enhanced sense of wellbeing. At one point I was doing so much that my son asked if anything was the matter with me, so unaccustomed is he to having an active mum!
The Vaser results have given me a huge boost, which I am building on with changes in lifestyle. I am learning more about lipedema and eating better, plus taking regular exercise. I recognize that these choices will support my overall health now and into the future.
Speaking of which, in 2 days time I will arrive at the milestone of my 60th birthday with all that that bespeaks. I shudder to think how I would have felt at this juncture in my life, had I not discovered Vaser. My physical condition would have been unaltered, and I would have hovered in that horrible hinterland of guilt, desperation and false hope. I now feel as though my life has just begun. I have the energy and self-confidence to face the future with enthusiasm, excitement, curiosity and a sense of physical and mental well-being. It is true to say that I feel healthier, in every sense, than I felt at any of my other milestone birthdays.
I cannot recommend Vaser too highly and while I realize that results doubtless vary with the individual, dependent on all sorts of factors, not least patient expectations, I am happy for my results to be used to help others who are in a similar position to where I found myself 6 months ago.
CM, Shropshire, April 2012.
Come see our website www.DrWolf.com
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