This study examined the disease-specific quality of life (QoL) in
lipoedema patients undergoing treatment for the condition with
liposuction. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients (n = 69) who underwent
liposuction for treatment of
lipoedema between 2004 and 2019, and gathered data on patient age, body mass index, the number of
liposuction sessions, and the amount of fat removed per side. The study also prospectively evaluated the QoL in 20
lipoedema patients before and after
liposuction using the Freiburg Life Quality Assessment for
lymphatic diseases questionnaire. The mean age was 50.6 ± 12.8 years, and the average number of
liposuction sessions performed was 2.9 ± 1.9, with a mean volume of 1868 ± 885.5 mL of fat removed per side. Before treatment with
liposuction, disease-specific QoL in patients with
lipoedema was low on every single subscale as well as on the global score and showed a significant improvement in all aspects after
liposuction. There was a significant correlation between a higher number of
liposuction treatment sessions and general health status in
lipoedema patients (P = .007).
Liposuction greatly improves the QoL in
lipoedema patients. A higher number of
liposuction treatment sessions seem to have a positive effect on general health status in these patients.