
March 1, 2002
Surgery
Question from Wichita Falls, Texas, USA:
I am a 25 year old who has had type 1 diabetes for 19 years, and I want to undergo liposuction so that I can wear sleeveless shirts without being self-conscious of the uneven lumpy appearance of my arms. I am not overweight, nor have I had any of the long term complication associated with diabetes. I am trying to gather information liposuction in people with type 1 diabetes to help alleviate the build up of scar tissue over the years.
Answer:
This area is not well described in the literature. I would first recommend getting an opinion from a qualified plastic surgeon. Liposuction would not be the procedure of choice. Rather, there would have to be selective removal of some of the lipohypertrophied tissue at surgery.
JTL