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Liposuction May Reduce Pain in Dercum's Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa).

Hansson, Emma LU ; Svensson, Henry LU and Brorson, Håkan LU orcid (2011) In Pain Medicine 12. p.942-952
Abstract
Objective. The aim of this prospective study is to assess the effect of liposuction on the pain experienced by women with Dercum's disease (adiposis dolorosa). Design. Pain was examined preoperatively and at 3 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after liposuction. The subjective pain sensation was evaluated with a visual analog scale and number of words chosen, and the objective pain sensation with the mechanical pressure pain threshold. Setting. Dercum's disease is characterized by obesity and pronounced pain in the adipose tissue. The pain is chronic and often disabling and resistant to traditional analgesics and other pain treatment. However, five reports have been published on the encouraging effect of liposuction. Patients. Pain was... (More)
Objective. The aim of this prospective study is to assess the effect of liposuction on the pain experienced by women with Dercum's disease (adiposis dolorosa). Design. Pain was examined preoperatively and at 3 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after liposuction. The subjective pain sensation was evaluated with a visual analog scale and number of words chosen, and the objective pain sensation with the mechanical pressure pain threshold. Setting. Dercum's disease is characterized by obesity and pronounced pain in the adipose tissue. The pain is chronic and often disabling and resistant to traditional analgesics and other pain treatment. However, five reports have been published on the encouraging effect of liposuction. Patients. Pain was evaluated in 53 patients with Dercum's disease that had been operated on with liposuction. As controls, 58 nonoperated subjects with Dercum's disease and 41 obese abdominoplasty patients were followed for 5 years. Results. Both subjective and objective pain measurements revealed a statistically significant decrease in the pain experienced by the Dercum patients after surgery as compared with preoperatively. However, the pain relief diminished over time. Furthermore, a significant postoperative difference could be seen between the Dercum operated group and the Dercum controls as regards measured pain. The difference decreased over time but still lingered 5 years postoperatively. Conclusion. The results suggest that liposuction might alleviate pain in patients with Dercum's disease. However, it is difficult to determine whether the effect is due to the actual surgery or to other factors. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Pain Medicine
volume
12
pages
942 - 952
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • wos:000292653300012
  • pmid:21481169
  • scopus:79959279792
  • pmid:21481169
ISSN
1526-2375
DOI
10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01101.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
4c2ed890-ae47-4ae0-b771-e1fa47e1d6ef (old id 1937287)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21481169?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:04:53
date last changed
2022-04-15 19:52:31
@article{4c2ed890-ae47-4ae0-b771-e1fa47e1d6ef,
  abstract     = {{Objective. The aim of this prospective study is to assess the effect of liposuction on the pain experienced by women with Dercum's disease (adiposis dolorosa). Design. Pain was examined preoperatively and at 3 months, and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after liposuction. The subjective pain sensation was evaluated with a visual analog scale and number of words chosen, and the objective pain sensation with the mechanical pressure pain threshold. Setting. Dercum's disease is characterized by obesity and pronounced pain in the adipose tissue. The pain is chronic and often disabling and resistant to traditional analgesics and other pain treatment. However, five reports have been published on the encouraging effect of liposuction. Patients. Pain was evaluated in 53 patients with Dercum's disease that had been operated on with liposuction. As controls, 58 nonoperated subjects with Dercum's disease and 41 obese abdominoplasty patients were followed for 5 years. Results. Both subjective and objective pain measurements revealed a statistically significant decrease in the pain experienced by the Dercum patients after surgery as compared with preoperatively. However, the pain relief diminished over time. Furthermore, a significant postoperative difference could be seen between the Dercum operated group and the Dercum controls as regards measured pain. The difference decreased over time but still lingered 5 years postoperatively. Conclusion. The results suggest that liposuction might alleviate pain in patients with Dercum's disease. However, it is difficult to determine whether the effect is due to the actual surgery or to other factors.}},
  author       = {{Hansson, Emma and Svensson, Henry and Brorson, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{1526-2375}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{942--952}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{Pain Medicine}},
  title        = {{Liposuction May Reduce Pain in Dercum's Disease (Adiposis Dolorosa).}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01101.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1526-4637.2011.01101.x}},
  volume       = {{12}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}