22 Interview Questions to Ask Your Lipedema Surgeon
Know what you're getting into before you go into liposuction surgery.
When I had my surgical consult for liposuction, it was mostly an afterthought. I was at the clinic to get a diagnosis because I NEEDED to know if I had Lipedema or if it was all in my head. I’d scheduled my appointment with Dr. Herbst and decided I might as well see the surgeon too while I was there, so I booked back-to-back appointments.
At the time, I was mainly overwhelmed and only stuttered when asked if I had any questions. I had NO CLUE what to ask him except, “Are you sure it’s Lipedema?”
I laugh at that now because my signs and symptoms were classic Lipedema.
Two years later, I’ve learned so much about this disease and have found that as part of us advocating for ourselves as patients, we need to ask a whole lotta questions.
Some of the women I’ve consulted with have been burned by the medical profession (and yes, even by lipedema surgeons). I don’t want that to happen to you (or anyone).
So, I’ve brainstormed a list of questions you can and should ask your surgeon.
Questions BEFORE your consult appointment:
How long have you been doing liposuction for Lipedema? How/where were you trained?
Do you work with insurance for reimbursement? If not, do you have payment plans?
Are you in-network with any insurance plans?
What is your average cost for liposuction surgeries?
What percentage of your patients are successful in obtaining insurance coverage?
Do you assist with my preauthorization, or am I responsible for getting my preauthorization?
Do you have a BMI limit? Weight limit?
Do you use general, twilight, and/or local anesthesia?
Which liposuction technique do you use? (such as WAL (Water-Assisted Liposuction) and PAL (Power-Assisted Liposuction) techniques. Some surgeons have relabeled their type of liposuction for marketing purposes, so really investigate what their technique means).
Is the liposuction lymph-sparing? (again, this is a technique that typically uses WAL or PAL)
How many liters of fat, on average, do you usually extract? Do you have a liter limit?
Do you have any packets or handouts about your Lipedema services?
Do you perform surgeries in-hospital? Or do you have an operating room in your clinic/surgery center?
Can you tell me the process for canceling/postponing/rescheduling my surgery date if there are unforeseen circumstances on your or my part?
Most surgeons have this information on their websites or in their informational packets. Many even have social media content, such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Some of the content may be dated (so double-check your questions in person), but you can investigate several different surgeons to see who they are and what they do to help you decide.
I highly encourage getting as many answers as possible to these questions; they will determine which surgeon is right for you. And since you’ll likely be traveling out of town and will line up many working parts with your surgery, you’ll want to know precisely what is expected. There’s always the chance a situation will pop up that I haven’t covered, but these questions will cover almost everything you want to know before you decide on a surgeon.
Once you’ve chosen a surgeon and made a consult appointment, you can get more in-depth about the surgery itself and how they manage you pre- and post-op. Here are some questions you can ask:
What is your surgery plan? How many surgeries do I need?
What is the general cost of those surgeries? (The surgery clinic may send you an email or other correspondence after your consult with a surgical plan and price).
Will you need to extract skin (such as a tummy tuck)? Will this be covered under insurance, or will I need to pay for this out of pocket?
What happens during surgery?
What can I expect right after surgery?
How do you manage post-surgical pain and other symptoms?
Do you require that I hire aftercare nursing help? (For non-hospital surgeries)?
How long will I need to stay nearby after surgery (if traveling)?
These questions give you an excellent idea about the surgeon’s communication, openness, process, and procedures. If you meet them in person, you’ll also get to meet their staff and know how responsive and friendly they are.
The relationship you have with your surgeon is essential! Since we all have different needs and expectations, our experiences will be unique. One surgeon may click with you, whereas another patient may have had a very negative experience.
All Lipedema surgeons (like any human) have positive and negative attributes. Because of this, I do not recommend necessarily listening to the personal opinions of another patient. Certainly, take others’ experiences into account. However, I highly encourage you to do your research and go with your gut on which doc is right for you.
Let’s Get You Started on Your Surgical Preauth!
When I found out I had Lipedema, the first thing I wanted was surgery. I needed this unwanted diseased fat that was causing me so much pain out of my body as soon as possible!
The more I searched about getting surgery, the more discouraged I got.
I didn’t have tens of thousands of dollars to afford a series of surgeries.
I also didn’t have an insurance plan that covered liposuction surgery. My insurance listed the surgery as cosmetic.
I found a consulting company that claimed they could get me through preauthorization for a fee. They also charged hundreds of dollars for an out-of-network exception (which I needed—no plastic surgeons were in-network) and twice as much money on top of that for an appeal (which I knew I’d also need since my plan didn’t even have a benefit).
I talked to that person, and the information I got seemed, from my experience…wrong.
See, there’s one thing different about me…I am a Registered Nurse Case Manager and have worked in the medical insurance business for over fifteen years. I’d even once had my own company providing medical necessity reviews nationwide for insurance companies.
I really, REALLY knew my stuff.
But still, I hesitated.
I talked with my husband about my dilemma, and he said, “Michelle, this has been your career. You know how to do this more than anyone. You got this!”
That small pep talk gave me the push I needed to get started doing my own preauthorization…my out-of-network exception…and an eventual appeal and acceptance for surgery.
That entire process (diagnosis, conservative care, and insurance auth) took me several months. I researched other plans for their benefit language to understand what criteria I needed to meet. I started working on that criteria—including three months of documented Conservative Care—and gathered all the information for my request for surgery.
I called my insurance plan and asked for a case manager because I knew I needed an inside contact person for any obstacles I encountered. With her guidance, my own experience, a lot of patience, and a ton of persistence, I got approved!
Phew! That WAS NOT easy!
I couldn’t imagine someone else trying to do that who didn’t know the insurance system.
And that’s why I’m here now because I WANT TO HELP!
Not only do I want to help, but I also want Lipedema to become more recognized in our country (and the world) and covered under insurance as a standard instead of an exception.
I want our daughters and granddaughters NOT to go through what we are going through now.
I want to make myself obsolete.
So, let’s get started on this!
Are you on my Lipedema and Me chat? This is where we build community! I ask questions and love responses from readers. I need your input! If you don’t know how to get to the Lipedema and Me chat:
Download the Substack app.
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Hit the chat icon (in the above picture) and link to our chat threads!
Come by and say hi!
Are you seeking expert guidance to get a proper diagnosis, boost your conservative Care, or navigate insurance preauthorization for liposuction surgery? Well, I’m here to help! Just head to my appointment calendar and book a slot to chat with me.
Don’t wait any longer! I promise I’m a great listener, a strategic problem-solver, and my pricing is reasonable. Let’s get started together on your journey to better health!
Take Care,
Michelle