Description

Three-Stage Lipedema Surgery in Newport Beach: 60-Year-Old Woman – Leg, Hip, and Arm Results

Before Treatment

This 60-year-old woman came to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. John Larson in Newport Beach, California, with lipedema affecting her legs, hips, buttocks, and arms. Because her lipedema involved both her upper and lower body, she needed a plan that could reduce the diseased tissue throughout and address the loose skin that reduction leaves behind.

Her main concerns:

• Lipedema of both legs, from the thighs through the calves
• Lipedema of the hips and buttocks, creating a disproportionate lower body
• Lipedema of the upper arms and forearms
• Pain, heaviness, swelling, and easy bruising in the affected areas
• Limited mobility that affected her daily activities

Her Surgical Journey

We designed a three-stage plan using power-assisted liposuction, with skin-tightening procedures added where needed for smooth, natural contours. The stages were spaced about three to four months apart, giving her time to recover fully between operations.

• Stage 1: Full-leg and hip lipedema liposuction. Power-assisted liposuction of both lower extremities, treating the full length of each leg, along with the hips.
• Stage 2: Arm lipedema liposuction with arm and forearm lifts. Power-assisted liposuction of both arms, combined with a brachioplasty (arm lift) and forearm lift to remove excess skin.
• Stage 3: Second-stage leg, hip, and buttock liposuction with thigh and calf lifts (not pictured). Further power-assisted liposuction of both legs, the hips, and the buttocks, combined with thigh lifts and calf lifts to tighten the skin of the legs after volume reduction.

How She’s Doing Now

She has done very well through all three stages. The photos shown here were captured after her first two stages and before her third, so they reflect her first-stage leg and hip liposuction and her arm surgery. She has since completed her final stage and is recovering very well, with updated photos to follow.

• Slimmer, more proportionate legs after her first-stage liposuction
• Reduced volume through the hips, with better balance between her upper and lower body
• Slimmer, more defined arms from the upper arm through the forearm
• Improvement in pain, heaviness, swelling, and mobility
• Recovering very well from her thigh and calf lifts, with final leg contours still to come

This three-stage approach treated her lipedema comprehensively, reducing the affected tissue in her legs, hips, buttocks, and arms while tightening the skin for a balanced, comfortable result.

Common Questions About This Case

How many surgeries does lipedema treatment take?
 It depends on how many areas are affected and how much tissue needs to be removed. This patient had lipedema of the legs, hips, buttocks, and arms, and we completed her treatment in three stages over about seven months.

Why were her legs treated in two separate stages?
 There are limits to how much tissue can be safely removed in a single operation. Treating her legs in two stages allowed us to reduce the lipedema tissue thoroughly while keeping each surgery within safe limits.

What are a thigh lift and calf lift, and why are they done with lipedema surgery?
 Once lipedema tissue is removed, the overlying skin may not retract fully on its own. A thigh lift and calf lift remove that excess skin, so the leg’s contour matches its reduced volume.

Can lipedema affect the arms as well as the legs?
 Yes. Lipedema commonly involves the arms in addition to the legs. We treated this patient’s upper arms and forearms with liposuction and skin-tightening lifts in her second stage.

Surgery performed by John Larson, MD, board-certified plastic surgeon, Larson Plastic Surgery & Medical Aesthetics, Newport Beach, CA. Individual results vary.