Liposuction helps improve pain, quality of life outcomes in patients with lipoedema

In patients with lipoedema, liposuction is superior to conservative therapy in terms of reducing leg pain and improving quality of life but is associated with more serious adverse events, according to a multicentre study from Germany.

The study included 410 women (mean age 42.9 years) who had stage I–III lipoedema and leg pain of at least 4 points on a 0–10 numeric rating scale and received conservative therapy for up to 7 months. These women were randomly assigned to undergo liposuction (n=278) or continue conservative therapy (n=132). During assessment visits, all women had patches applied to their legs and were instructed not to reveal the treatment they had received in order to mask the assessor.

The primary endpoint was reduction in patient-reported leg pain of ≥2 points after 12 months. Safety was also evaluated. A long-term follow-up of 36 months is ongoing.

After 12 months, the primary endpoint was achieved in 68 percent of participants who underwent liposuction group vs 8 percent of those who continued to receive conservative therapy (odds ratio, 26.2, 95 percent confidence interval, 13.1–52.5; p<0.0001).

Adverse events (AEs) occurred in 47 percent of participants in the liposuction group, including serious AEs in 8 percent. In the conservative therapy group, AEs occurred in 21 percent of participants, with serious AEs documented in 3 percent.

The secondary endpoint of quality of life showed greater improvement in the liposuction group vs the conservative therapy group.