Article topics: Compression Therapy, juxtafit®, Leg wounds, Lipoedema, Tissue viability service
Lipoedema affects 11% of women worldwide (Buck and Herbst, 2016) and has a significant physical and psychosocial impact. It commonly presents as a disproportionate distribution of body fat in the lower extremities — symptoms include tenderness, pain, bruising and large fat nodules. Treatment is often similar to lymphoedema management and includes decongestive therapy, compression garments and skin care. This article presents a patient case study. It looks at the physical and psychological impact of lipoedema on the patient and the significant improvements seen with the use of juxtafit compression garments. The patient’s treatment included the intervention of general practice nursing and tissue viability services, demonstrating the importance of multidisciplinary working.