Lipedema Surgery Helps Improve Knee Function
And not in the way you may think
I’ve been pretty focused on my knees lately. Obsessed is more like it.
After I was done with my lipedema surgeries last year, I slowly came to realize my knees were in bad shape. I hadn’t been to see an orthopedist for a couple of years because…COVID. And, at my last ortho appointment, I was told I needed to lose weight before I had knee surgery.
The typical response from the medical community.
As I recovered from lipo surgery, I still couldn’t walk, and I realized all the pain was coming from my knees. When I had Lipedema pain, I hurt all over. I couldn’t decipher the difference in my pain.
In March, I went to see another orthopedist and after x-rays, it was very obvious I needed double knee replacements.
I made a surgery date…for October. It was the earliest I could get my surgery.
For the past six months, I’ve been in limbo. I’m still in pain. But it’s a different kind of pain. It’s a pain I can manage at least a little bit. And there’s hope because I see an end in sight.
Anyway, I’ve been doing a little reading on Lipedema and knee issues. I’ve also been working with a physical therapist and getting a different perspective on how Lipedema does and does not impact our knees. I’ve discovered a lot!
Lipedema can impact knees in a negative way, but not necessarily because of the weight load. It is the bulk of the tissue from Lipedema that surrounds the knee and can cause range-of-motion restrictions.
Liposuction debulking surgery can improve a patient’s range of motion, and mobility, decrease pain, and reduce stress on the knee joint by removing that excess tissue that gets in the way of being able to bend and rotating our knees. It can make the difference in climbing stairs, getting in and out of the tub, and getting in and out of a car or chair.
Another aspect, at least for me, is that hEDS (hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) is likely more responsible for my degenerative knees because the connective tissue that holds joints together is looser or more hyperreflexive.
With EDS, the joints can move far past the normal range of motion. Joint pain and dislocations or subluxations (partial dislocations) are common. (source)
It has been hypothesized that the (micro-)trauma in the joint due to typical subluxations and dislocations, make EDS patients prone to developing osteoarthritis (OA) in early stages. (source)
hEDS also causes widespread pain. Since the connective tissue supports skin, muscles, and organs, patients with the hypermobile subtype of EDS (hEDS) often experience chronic pain in multiple locations, including the muscles, joints, nerves, abdomen, head, or generalized pain. (source)
We aren’t just battling pain from Lipedema. Many of us are also struggling from EDS pain.
There are many conservative ways to manage joint pain in the knees (or other joints). But considering liposuction surgery not only for the pain, but to decrease the mass accumulated around your knee joints are just another reason why liposuction is a medically necessary treatment for our pain and mobility.
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Take Care,
Michelle
https://www.lipedema.net/liposuction-shown-improve-knee-function.html