Liposuction for Lymphedema

Unlike lipedema, lymphedema may affect only a single limb in the upper or lower body. This is caused by irritation or loss of the lymph nodes in the limb, often related to surgery, infection or certain types of chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer, when lymphatic fluid builds up within the body because the lymph node is functioning improperly or wholly absent. Lymphedema is characterized by one arm or leg, or both, swelling to become significantly and obviously disproportionate to the other(s). Also unlike lipedema, lymphedema may also affect the fingers and toes, the muscles of the limb and cause hardening or thickening of the skin of the affected region.

Lymphedema can be treated and managed, but once it begins, it is a lifelong although rarely life-threatening condition. Management may consist of a number of treatments designed to evacuate or manage lymphatic fluid flow throughout the region, with liposuction considered one of the more involved treatments, after conservative management and treatment options have failed, or performed in tandem with more conservative measures.

Like lipedema, insurance does not normally cover all lymphedema tre