Medical Xpress and the University of Cologne report 12-month results from the 410-person LIPLEG trial. A pain reduction of at least 2 points was reached by 68.3 per cent of the surgery group and 7.6 per cent of the decongestive-therapy group. Adverse events were more frequent after surgery, serious complications occurred only there, and the 36-month safety follow-up is still under way.
Medical Xpress and the University of Cologne report that the 11-site German LIPLEG trial assigned 410 participants with stage I-III lipoedema to two treatment groups. At 12 months, 68.3 per cent of those who underwent liposuction achieved a clinically meaningful pain reduction of at least 2 points on a 10-point scale. The corresponding share in the complex decongestive-therapy group was 7.6 per cent.[1], [2]
Neither source separates the pain result from the risks of surgery. Adverse events were more frequent in the surgical arm, and serious complications occurred only among participants who underwent the operation. The researchers therefore do not present liposuction as a trivial intervention; they stress individual risk-benefit assessment and monitoring. The comparison supplies evidence of effectiveness while leaving the safety question open.[1], [2]
The published primary results cover 12 months. Follow-up to 36 months is continuing, so the durability of pain relief and the distribution of late complications are not yet known. The team also calls for more work on the best surgical technique and possible differences among liposuction methods. The practical balance is clear: the short-term pain result is strong, while the long-term safety picture remains incomplete.[1], [2]
