An interventional study of Endermologie-Assisted Physiotherapy and Standard Postoperative Physiotherapy in Lower-Limb Lipedema and Lipedema, sponsored by Cairo University. Recruiting at 2 sites in Egypt. Open to female participants aged 25 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-22.
Sponsored by Cairo University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Lipedema is a chronic condition that mainly affects women and causes abnormal fat accumulation, pain, heaviness, tenderness, swelling, and difficulty with movement, especially in the lower limbs. Liposuction is sometimes used to reduce the abnormal fatty tissue in people with lower-limb lipedema. However, after surgery, patients may still experience swelling, pain, bruising, tissue stiffness, and reduced mobility during recovery.
Physiotherapy is an important part of recovery after liposuction for lipedema. It may include compression therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, gentle exercises, walking, skin care, and patient education. These treatments aim to reduce swelling, improve circulation, support tissue healing, and help patients return to daily activities.
This study will investigate whether adding Endermologie to a standard physiotherapy program can improve recovery after liposuction for lower-limb lipedema. Endermologie is a non-invasive mechanical massage technique that uses gentle suction and rolling movements to mobilize the skin and soft tissues. It may help support lymphatic drainage, reduce swelling, improve tissue flexibility, and decrease discomfort.
Participants in this study will be divided into two groups. One group will receive only standard postoperative physiotherapy. The other group will receive standard postoperative physiotherapy plus Endermologie sessions. The study will compare both groups to see whether Endermologie-assisted physiotherapy provides a better improvement in swelling, pain, tissue stiffness, mobility, and overall functional recovery.
The results of this study may help physiotherapists develop more effective rehabilitation protocols for patients recovering from liposuction for lower-limb lipedema.
This study will evaluate the effect of adding Endermologie to a standard postoperative physiotherapy program for patients recovering from liposuction for lower-limb lipedema.
Lipedema is a chronic disorder of abnormal fat distribution that commonly affects the lower limbs and may be associated with pain, heaviness, tenderness, swelling tendency, bruising, and reduced mobility. Although liposuction may reduce pathological adipose tissue, postoperative recovery often requires structured rehabilitation to manage swelling, pain, tissue stiffness, and functional limitations.
Participants will be assigned to one of two treatment groups. The control group will receive standard postoperative physiotherapy, which may include compression guidance, manual lymphatic drainage, gentle therapeutic exercises, walking progression, lower-limb elevation advice, skin care education, and activity modification. The intervention group will receive the same standard physiotherapy program with the addition of Endermologie sessions.
Endermologie is a non-invasive mechanical soft-tissue mobilization technique using controlled suction and rolling movements. In this study, it will be applied as an adjunctive modality after surgical clearance and according to patient tolerance. Treatment intensity and duration will be adjusted based on healing status, pain level, and tissue response. Areas with open wounds, infection, hematoma, seroma, or excessive tenderness will be avoided.
The study will assess changes in postoperative edema, pain, and functional recovery over the intervention period. Edema may be evaluated using standardized lower-limb circumference or volume measurements. Pain may be assessed using a validated pain rating scale. Functional recovery may be evaluated using mobility or lower-limb function measures. Additional observations may include tissue stiffness, tenderness, heaviness, bruising, patient satisfaction, and quality of life.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether Endermologie-assisted physiotherapy provides additional benefits compared with standard physiotherapy alone in improving postoperative recovery after liposuction for lower-limb lipedema.
85 studies on the registry are indexed under Lipedema; 32 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 88 is above the median of 35 across 42 interventional studies indexed under Lipedema.
Browse Lipedema studies →Cairo University is the lead sponsor of 4,941 studies on the registry; 1,458 are open to participants now.
Of its 37 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 5 (14%) have results posted.
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Participants will be eligible for inclusion if they meet all of the following criteria:
Female participants diagnosed with lower-limb lipedema. Age between 25 and 45 years old.
3.2 Exclusion Criteria
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants in this arm will receive standard postoperative physiotherapy after liposuction for lower-limb lipedema. The program may include manual lymphatic drainage, compression garment education, gentle exercises, walking progression, breathing exercises, limb elevation advice, skin care, and activity modification to support edema reduction, pain control, tissue healing, and functional recovery.
Device: Standard Postoperative Physiotherapy
Device: Endermologie-Assisted Physiotherapy · Device: Standard Postoperative Physiotherapy
Mechanical massage-assisted physiotherapy consists of standard postoperative physiotherapy combined with non-invasive mechanical soft-tissue mobilization using controlled suction and rolling movements. The intervention will be applied to the operated lower-limb areas after surgeon clearance and according to patient tolerance. Treatment will aim to support postoperative edema reduction, pain relief, tissue mobility, and functional recovery. Areas with open wounds, infection, hematoma, seroma, severe bruising, excessive tenderness, or other postoperative complications will be avoided.
Standard Postoperative Physiotherapy is a structured rehabilitation program after liposuction for lower-limb lipedema. It includes manual lymphatic drainage, compression garment education, gentle exercises, walking progression, breathing exercises, limb elevation advice, skin care, and activity modification. The program aims to reduce edema and pain, support tissue healing, and improve functional recovery.
Lower-limb edema volume:
Circumferential measurements at 4-cm intervals from ankle to proximal thigh; truncated-cone volume estimation; mean percentage change across both limbs
Time frame: Baseline to 2,4,8,12 weeks
• Pain intensity
Pain will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain.
Time frame: base line(7-10 days post operative),2 ,4, 8, 12 weeks
• Functional status:
Functional mobility will be evaluated using the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Participants will rise from a standard chair, walk three meters, turn, return, and sit down. Time will be recorded in seconds, and the best or average of repeated trials will be documented
Time frame: base line(7-10 days post operative),2 ,4, 8, 12 weeks
Tissue induration/fibrosis
High-frequency ultrasonography of subcutaneous thickness/echogenicity
Time frame: at base line(7-10 days post operative),,4,8,12 weeks
Not enrolling at this site.
Plan to share: Yes
Supporting information: Informed consent form
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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