Lipoedema in the Lymph Exchange

Lipoedema

A collection of photos of articles in the Lymph Exchange

 

Lipoedema in the Lymph Exchange

Lymph Exchange is the official journal of the ALA.  The ALA is committed to promoting the development of lymphology in Australasia with a focus on improving the management of those with, or at risk of developing, lymphoedema.

Lymph Exchange is published three times per year and includes news, reviews, regular articles and feature articles relevant to people who work, research or have an interest in the field of lymphoedema.

Quite a number of years ago, when I was on the Editorial Committee of the Australasian Lymphology Association (ALA), I asked if we could have one article on lipoedema in the next edition of the Lymph Exchange. I was told that, as lipoedema isn’t a lymphatic condition, it wasn’t appropriate for us to have an article on it.

Fast forward to now and there’s an entire magazine devoted to lipoedema!

Amazing.

I have an article in this edition – Establishing a lipoedema support group: a Northern Beaches experience.

I am proud to have been asked to submit an article on the topic and feel it is important for other therapists to realise how helpful these groups are for women battling with lipoedema.

But (there’s always a but isn’t there?)

I am ANGRY. Yes. ANGRY in capital letters (and bold).

If I’d known the ALA would keep backing Tobias Bertsch’s paper, Lipoedema: A Paradigm Shift and Consensus, I’m not sure I would have contributed. I’ve talked about this document before, here’s a link to a post on my socials.

But I’ll give you the gist – Bertsch suggests that bariatric surgery to address the obesity aspect of lipoedema is the best treatment. It also states there is no oedema in lipoedema, it is NOT progressive and it DOES NOT come in stages.

I don’t dispute that there can be obesity in lipoedema, I see it a lot. Does everybody diagnosed with lipoedema have obesity? Hell no. I’m going to stop myself, I’ve done this rant before.

Here’s a link to a post I wrote for Lipoedema Awareness Month a couple years ago – you try telling that women that all she needs is bariatric surgery and see how you go.

The big issue for me is the ALA solely sticking with this guideline instead of also including information, or at least a comparison with, other guidelines like:

Here’s the difference: the British and American documents both acknowledge there’s oedema (NOT lymphoedema) in lipoedema, and they recommend things like MLD (Manual Lymphatic Drainage) and compression to help manage it, along with weight loss solutions.

It’s frustrating to see the ALA promote such a narrow view. This isn’t giving lymphoedema therapists a balanced understanding of lipoedema and I’m glad the magazine isn’t available to the public – it would just add to the confusion for women already struggling to figure out this condition.

To add insult to injury, the article by Bertsch ran over a few pages and the final part was placed on the same page as the article by Jen Bartlet, Chair of Lipoedema Australia. If you haven’t ready my social media post from 2022, linked above, Bertsch called out Lipoedema Australia, in particular, for spreading mis-information! He also called out the work of Ramin Shayan and Karen Herbst, both huge advocates for Lipoedema Australia.

I can feel my rage rising again.

I’ll be diving into this topic at the ATMS lipoedema symposium in March 2025, comparing the Bertsch and Herbst documents to highlight the differences. This conversation needs to happen so the therapists can have a more balanced take on the latest research about lipoedema.

Rant over.