Surgical treatment of lipedema: G-BA includes liposuction in the regular catalogue of services after positive benefit assessment
German Joint Federal Committee for Healthcare Services (G-BA) met on Thursday 17th July 2025, and recommended that liposuction for lipedema should be funded by the health insurance system in Germany for people with lipedema.
This decision recognises that liposuction has clear benefits for treating lipedema in the legs and/or arms, regardless of the stage of lipedema.
Who will be eligible?
In order for German patients to be eligible, it is expected they have a formal diagnosis from 2 separate doctors, undergo six months of conservative therapies, and have a relatively stable weight.
The committee acknowledged the applicability of WHtR/waist-to-height-ratio as well as BMI in measuring lipedema vs obesity, and the need for obesity treatment where patients have lipedema and obesity.
This recommendation is for ongoing provision, not for a fixed period of time or trial period. Normal guideline reviews will take place as further scientific findings are published, such as the LIPLEG study which was pivotal in providing evidence for the committee.
Who was involved?
Lipoedema UK congratulates all The Lipedema World Alliance (LWA) board members involved in the decisions and contributions, including Professor Manuel Cornely and Professor Mojtaba Ghods whose surgical centres provided the majority of LIPLEG study patients, and Dr Gabriele Faerber co-ordinator and lead author of the German Lipedema Guidelines under the guidance of the German Society of Phlebology and Lymphology.
The committee also considered the patient perspective with evidence given by Susanne Helmbrecht of the patient organisation Lymphselbsthilfe e.V which is an LWA Founder Member.
How Does This Outcome Affect the Wider Lipoedema Community and UK?
This isn’t just a milestone for Germany it’s a landmark victory for the global lipoedema community and a powerful moment of recognition for every patient who has ever felt overlooked or unheard.
We believe this decision, alongside the preliminary findings of the LIPLEG study, has the potential to reshape the future of lipoedema care worldwide.
In particular, it provides critical evidence that can help inform future healthcare decisions in the UK, including the upcoming review by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) into the safety and effectiveness of liposuction for lipoedema.
The Lipoedema UK team are working closely with NICE to ensure they take the German study into their review process, and provide the same support and treatments for lipoedema patients in the UK.
We need your continued support, fundraising, and donations to strengthen our advocacy, amplify patient voices, and keep fighting for equitable, evidence-based treatment.
Together, we can build on this momentum and work toward a future where access to treatment is a right, not a privilege.