BMI is Now a Big Deal With Lipedema Surgery
And who is quitting their surgical Lipedema practice?
Hey Everyone,
There are two significant happenings with surgical physicians who perform Lipedema reduction (liposuction) surgery. These have happened within the last week, so I want to give you this information as soon as possible.
No High BMI
I’ll just spit it out:
Lipedema surgeons are starting to deny women with high BMIs.
Until now, I’ve always been told it doesn’t matter how high your BMI is; you should still receive liposuction because Lipedema fat is different than metabolic fat (which is true). It won’t go away until it’s surgically removed (also true).
Trying to find a BMI cut-off, I haven’t been able to find any parameters. However, in the past week, I’ve heard some surgeons are denying surgical patients with a BMI over 50. Those who have scheduled surgery? Surgeons are canceling them.
Understandably, the surgical risk for complications increases with BMI. Also, removing a large volume at one time can increase complications, risks, and mortality. This may be why surgeons are stepping back.
That doesn’t help those of us who have seen our BMI increase over the years, then been told we finally have the option of surgery. Then work really hard to get approval for surgery, only to be told “no” because our disease is too far advanced.
I don’t have an answer for this yet. I want to get this initial information to those who may be affected by it, especially those who because if you have already planned your surgery and arranged all of the accommodations, you may want to check with your surgeon to ensure you are okay to go forward.
If you’ve recently had experience with this, please comment below!
Dr. Martin is quitting her Lipedema surgery practice?
Right now, I can’t confirm or deny that Dr. Andrea Martin (who is in practice with Dr. Gutowski) is leaving the practice. The clinic has called at least one patient I know of to cancel her surgeries.
If you’re one of her patients and this is happening, you will need to find another surgeon, whether that’s Dr. Gutowski or someone else. And likely, they will need to resubmit for an out-of-network exception for the new physician.
I don’t know much more than that; I only heard of it yesterday. If you’re a Dr. Martin patient, tell me more about this in the comments. Thanks!
Many women with Lipedema struggle most of their lives with managing their Lipedema. It’s frustrating and unfair, but major setbacks happen. I’m here to pass along new information and support you through your surgical journey. I’ll keep writing about this as I get more information. For now, I wanted you to be the first to know so you can follow up with your surgeon.
Take care,
Michelle
Book a consult with me!
Are you ready yet for surgery? Don’t know where to start? I’m offering 30-minute phone consultations to women who want to get their surgery approved. No matter where you are in your Lipedema surgery, I can and have helped women through every part of the preauthorization process.
Other Socials
Did you know Lipedema and Me is on Tik Tok? I give short video clips of information about Lipedema, lipo surgery, and insurance.
Lipedema and Me is also on Facebook. This is a relatively new page, so please join!