Best Practice Guidelines
This page contains links to two sets of best practice guidelines. Wounds UK’s Best Practice Guidelines: The Management of Lipoedema was published in 2017; while the German guidelines were published in 2024.
People with Lipoedema in the UK face significant challenges. Many are not recognised by healthcare professionals as having the condition or are misdiagnosed. Awareness of Lipoedema among medical practitioners is poor, and little clinical research is focused on the condition. Even when it is diagnosed correctly, accessing appropriate care within the NHS may be difficult because of poor understanding of treatment and referral routes, and geographical variations in clinic availability, funding and capacity. The guidelines below offer comprehensive advice for the treatment of Lipoedema.
UK Best Practice Guidelines: The Management of Lipoedema is produced by Wounds UK. A definitive guide to diagnosing and treating the condition, it is available online here. Developed by Lipoedema UK, key opinion leaders, patients and UK third sector organisations, this guide will be of interest to anyone involved in delivering support and clinical services to people with Lipoedema, including GPs, lymphoedema therapists, community nurses, plastic surgeons, dietitians, commissioners, third-sector organisations and others. All members of Lipoedema UK who select Clinician & Healthcare Professional membership can opt to receive a printed copy.
Guidelines have also been published in Germany in the JDDG: Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft. To read the recommendations, which were developed under the leadership of the German Society of Phlebology and Lymphology (DGPL) and which aim to optimise the diagnosis and treatment of Lipoedema, click here.