Caution on Liposuction for RAD Patients
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The 2-day 3rd Annual FDRS Conference was a huge hit with amazing speakers from all over the US, as well as from Germany. One speaker in particular has sparked a lot of discussion among RAD patients– Dr. Stefan Rapprich from Darmsdadt, Germany. Dr. Rapprich spoke about his method for treating lipedema patients with liposuction. His treatment is referred to as liposuction using tumescent local anesthesia with a vibrating micro cannula. The patient is actually awake and assists during the procedure, and his data suggest that he can remove and prevent the return of lipedema with almost no side effects, based on 15 years of practicing this procedure.
Dr. Rapprich indicated that not every lipedema patient is a suitable candidate for the treatment (the earlier stage and younger the patient, the better), that multiple treatments are often required over a series of many months (as many as 5 treatments), and that each treatment must be followed by a strict regimen of MLD therapy and compression for 4-6 weeks and periodically thereafter, as needed.
Dr. Rapprich mentioned one other surgeon in the US who is familiar with and able to perform this procedure and that is Dr. William Hanke in Indianapolis, IN. http://www.cwmhanke.com/lipo.html
Dr. Karen Herbst conducted a short phone interview with Dr. Hanke recently. When asked whether any surgeons in the US are able to perform the tumescent liposuction procedure similar to Dr. Rapprich, Dr. Hanke replied that “There are not many doctors that want to get into the kind of work that Stefan does. They will pretend to address this problem but no one will get the results that Stefan can.” Dr. Hanke also mentioned that “At that level of expertise (that Stefan has), there is not another name that I can give to you to equal the work that Dr. Rapprich performs. In fact, I could provide only a couple of other names in Germany (for surgeon’s knowledgeable with Stefan’s technique and lipedema). Even Stefan’s results are not perfect.”
As a guide, the FDRS would like to caution everyone with lipedema and Dercum’s disease considering undergoing liposuction to do their homework and make sure that their surgeon has an understanding of liposuction using tumescent local anesthesia and will work tediously to spare the lymphatic system. Consider asking your surgeon to review your case with Dr. Rapprich. http://www.scribd.com/doc/54036724/Stefan-Rapprich
Remember that in the United States, liposuction for lipedema or Dercum’s disease, in many cases, is not covered by insurance.
Karen L. Herbst, Ph.D., M.D.
I recently had tumescent liposuction as a major procedure on my arms. It is eight weeks today and despite having had a bad scare due to excessive bleeding during the procedure, I am very happy with the results. The surgeons also did some open surgery to remove much bigger lipomas but discovered that most of my lipomas had in fact been angiolipomas, hence the excessive blood. I feel that this should be a signal to all patients (especially those who have had DD for a very long time like me) that liposuction might be difficult. If they had not operated on me in the traditional way, they would have never got the result they have achieved. However, I already have regrowth from what I believe was only partially removed lipomas. I just hope that they will not grow back too fast!!
Cynthia
Thank you for this notice. Dr. Rapprich has consented to be our advisory doctor for the German support group for Dercum’s disease and Lipedema which I founded in 2009. I am very astonished, that the American medical teaching at universitys and hospitals have not included this treatment in their curriculum. Dr. Rapprich should be won to give courses for American surgeons so that this method becomes standard proceedure. On German TV there have been numerous discussions about and showing of patients with all three stages of lipedema. Another doctor from Muenster was also shown treating patients. I do not remember his name, but would gladly do some digging to find his name if anyone is interessted. We also have problems with having health insurance take over the costs, but there have been cases of patients in our support group that have had all costs covered by their insurance.The only way to remedy this situation is to use the media to spread awareness.
Best wishes to everyone,
Kattamaki ( Carina from Germany)
I have only just found this site and it is very inspiring. I would be interested to know of the doctor from muenster who was shown treating patients as I am in UK. If you could do some digging???? I am very interested that in Germany there has been media coverage of lipedema and wish there could be work like that in UK. Any further information – greatly appreciated. thanks Jill
Thank you very much Dr Herbst..I will put this on MDJ.