A retrospective cohort study: Waterjet-assisted Liposuction reduces inflammation but increases the risk of hypokalemia in lipoedema patients

Resource type
Authors/contributors
Title
A retrospective cohort study: Waterjet-assisted Liposuction reduces inflammation but increases the risk of hypokalemia in lipoedema patients
Abstract
Introduction Lipoedema is a congenital fat distribution disorder. It leads to a pathological increase in adipose tissue due to a hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the adipocytes. Currently, the disease affects about 10% of women. A common treatment of the disease is liposuction to remove the pathologic fat cells. Patients and Methods A total of 47 patients (mean age: 62.00 ± 12.96 years) were treated with the conventional tumescent liposuction and 25 patients (mean age of 45.16 ± 12.87 years) with Waterjet-assisted liposuction (WAL), a gentle, tissue-conserving method which washes out fat cells. WAL is thought to cause less damage to surrounding tissue than tumescent liposuction and thus, less trauma. Results The postoperative level the C-reactive protein was significantly (p* = 0.0195) lower after WAL treatment, implying a lower inflammation level than after tumescent liposuction. Also, a decrease of electrolytes such as potassium in the blood serum was observed in some cases. The postoperative potassium level dropped by 0.30 ± 0.24mmol/l, a value which was significantly lower in WAL treated patients where the level dropped by 0.47 ± 0.31mmol/l. The mean fat aspirate using the conventional tumescent method was 3,302.13 ± 1,345.89ml and 3,727.08 ± 151.96ml with the WAL treatment. Conclusions: WAL is a tissue-conserving method that washes out fat cells with less trauma to surrounding tissue as observed with conventional tumescent liposuction. WAL causes a lower inflammation level but higher loss of potassium ions. This latter aspect needs attention after the liposuction treatment.
Publication
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
Date
2024-10-13
Journal Abbr
Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
ISSN
1748-6815
Short Title
A retrospective cohort study
Accessed
10/16/24, 3:44 PM
Library Catalog
ScienceDirect
Citation
Hoffmann, J., Stepniewski, A., Lehmann, W., & Jäckle, K. (2024). A retrospective cohort study: Waterjet-assisted Liposuction reduces inflammation but increases the risk of hypokalemia in lipoedema patients. Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2024.10.013
Publication