From Dr. McCluskey:
As I began to diagnose and successfully treat lipedema, I saw it everywhere – at the gym, the outdoor mall, and at restaurants, and walking trails. Everywhere I looked I could find a woman with obvious signs of lipedema, thinner midsection and disproportionately larger legs and/or arms. People often ask me if I look at people at a restaurant and think what procedure they need, like rhinoplasty or a breast lift. The truth is I rarely do this. Unless someone is in front of me for a consultation I don’t typically analyze their appearance. But now that I treat lipedema I see signs of it every time I’m out. Of course I would never say anything about lipedema to someone outside of my office but we live in a harsh world and people are critical and cruel. Women with disproportionately large legs and/or arms are often self-conscious about it. I would never risk offending someone by walking up and saying “hi you don’t know me but it looks like you have stage 2 lipedema and there are some excellent treatments available.” At the same time it is stunning how many lipedema sufferers aren’t even aware that this a known medical condition that can be successfully treated.
I created this website and personally wrote all of the content in order to help raise awareness about lipedema and to educate patients who may have never seen or heard this word. I am not a search engine professional nor am I tech savvy but I hope that sites like this increase the search-ability of words like lipedema and lipedema liposuction so that patients who search, “why can’t I lose weight in my legs?”, or “what can I do about my large ankles?”, can find answers more easily.
Long before I learned about Lipedema I was a medical student at the University of Mississippi in Jackson, MS (not Oxford, but I’m technically an Ole Miss alumni! Hotty Toddy!). I was completing my general surgery residency at the University of Mississippi when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I knew a fair amount about breast cancer from the young doctor/resident standpoint but it had never affected me personally in such a way. As medical students and residents will do with a sick family member, I researched breast cancer treatments vigorously, and through her treatment I was introduced to the concept of post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. I began working closely with the plastic surgery division at my hospital, learning more about reconstructive surgery, and participating in research projects and papers. As I completed my 5 year residency in general surgery, I was accepted into the prestigious residency in the Department of Plastic Surgery at the UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. I had the most comprehensive and intensive training in plastic surgery that was offered at that time. I trained and worked under some of the great innovators in our field. My practice initially focused on cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the body and breast. I have evolved into concentrations on lymphatic and fatty disorders, restorative liposuction for lipedema, and enbloc explant for breast implant illness.
The practice and pursuit of expertise in lipedema treatment and explant surgery have been incredibly fulfilling for me. With lipedema, patients are often suffering from a poorly understood medical condition with the potential for life changing treatment. My priority is for the patients to feel significantly better and to see transformative results. Postoperative care for lipedema then focuses on compression, lymphatic drainage, and conservative therapy to improve symptoms. I prefer to think of lipedema like a journey that we are on together. Often we need to perform more than one procedure and we will have a number of follow ups to discuss and review improvements and continued treatment.