The LIPLEG Trial has been published!

The LIPLEG trial, a landmark study and the first large, multi-center, randomized controlled trial to directly compare liposuction with conservative therapy for Lipedema, was published this week in The Lancet (Podda et al., 2026). This paper is the strongest evidence to date that Lipedema pain is treatable and that liposuction can help many patients.

The trial found that liposuction (often combined with conservative therapy) produced significantly greater reductions in pain than conservative therapy alone. After 12 months, 68% of the liposuction group had a meaningful reduction in leg pain, compared with just 8% of the conservative therapy group, and this result was consistent across all three Lipedema stages. The participants who received liposuction had 26.2 times the odds (an “odds ratio” of 26.2) of reporting a two-point reduction in leg pain on a ten-point scale. Put more simply, the participants in the liposuction group were roughly nine times as likely to achieve that pain reduction (68% vs. 8%). This figure may even be a conservative estimate; in 41 of the 278 surgical cases, researchers were unable to complete the 12-month follow-up assessment and counted these as treatment failures, though presumably some participants had positive outcomes. 

Therapy Achievements Supports Biobank Collection in Huntsville, Alabama

Lipedema Foundation (LF) recently collaborated with Therapy Achievements in Huntsville, Alabama, for a Biobank collection event, providing an opportunity for participants to contribute samples that can support future Lipedema research.

We are grateful to Therapy Achievements for supporting the event and to everyone who participated. Each contribution helps build the LF Biobank as a resource for researchers working to advance our understanding of Lipedema.

Supporting Lipedema Research Through the LF Biobank

The LF Biobank collects and stores biological samples and associated data from people with Lipedema, creating a resource that can help researchers investigate the biology of the disease and support future scientific discovery.

Learn more about the LF Biobank and how it supports research here.

Interested in Collaborating with the LF Biobank?

The Lipedema Foundation is interested in expanding opportunities for Biobank collection through collaborations with clinicians, surgeons, and researchers.

If you are a clinician, surgeon, or researcher interested in bringing an LF Biobank collection opportunity to your practice or research program, we would like to explore opportunities to collaborate. Contact us at biobank@lipedema.org to learn more.

How Clinicians Can Identify and Diagnose Lipedema: Key Insights from a Real Patient Evaluation

Lipedema is frequently misunderstood, underdiagnosed, and often mistaken for obesity or lymphedema. In this in-depth patient evaluation, Sarah Whitehead, MN, ARNP, uses the Lipedema Foundation’s Clinician’s Guide to Lipedema to walk through the diagnostic process step by step, offering valuable insight into how healthcare providers can recognize the signs and symptoms of Lipedema in practice.

Sarah will be assessing Terry, who describes a lifelong history of disproportionately large legs that began around puberty and progressively worsened over time. Despite significant weight loss following gastric sleeve surgery, her legs remained disproportionately enlarged and painful, a hallmark characteristic of Lipedema.

Throughout the consultation, Sarah highlights several important disease hallmarks providers should assess when evaluating a patient for the condition:

Family History and Hormonal Triggers

Lipedema often runs in families and commonly appears or worsens during periods of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. Terry recalls noticing symptoms beginning during adolescence and recognizing a similar presentation in her mother.

Pasadena Plastic Surgery Joins Lipedema Foundation Biobank Effort

We’re excited to share an important milestone for the Lipedema Foundation Biobank: onboarding of the first surgical collection site.

Launched in 2025, the LF Biobank is a foundational initiative designed to accelerate research into the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of Lipedema. By securely collecting biospecimens such as blood, urine, saliva, adipose, and other tissue types, along with relevant health information, the Biobank provides researchers with high-quality, well-annotated samples needed to advance scientific discovery.

Introducing our First Surgical Biobank Site: Pasadena Plastic Surgery (Pasadena, CA)

Pasadena Plastic Surgery, led by Dr. Michael Schwartz, now serves as an official LF Biobank collection site, expanding access to high-quality samples for research. Dr. Michael Schwartz is a board-certified facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon with more than 20 years of experience. In support of our efforts to expand the LF Biobank, Surgical Coordinator Cristina Corral and the Pasadena Plastic Surgery team lead on-site collection of biological samples and clinical data from individuals who choose to participate. Cristina, who lives with Lipedema, has supported patients undergoing liposuction to treat Lipedema at Pasadena Plastic Surgery for 10 years and actively raises awareness by sharing her personal journey. 

Building What the Field Needs: Lipedema Foundation-Initiated Research Initiatives

The Lipedema Foundation was built on a simple premise: funding the right research, done by the right scientists, is the fastest path to answers for people living with Lipedema. Over 11 years, that commitment has produced up to $13.6 million in research investment, partnerships with 55 institutions across 10 countries, and 74 publications advancing our understanding of this disease from adipose biology and lymphatic involvement to pain mechanisms and the role of the immune system.

Today, we are announcing the next chapter: LF is now initiating and managing some of its own research projects.