Lipedema Liposuction · Fort Myers, FL

Lipedema Is Not a Weight Problem

Specialised liposuction for lipedema, performed by Dr. Giselle Prado‑Wright in Fort Myers.

If the fat on your legs, hips, or arms is painful, bruises easily, feels heavy, and has never responded to dieting the way the rest of your body does, there may be a reason for that. Lipedema is a recognised condition, it is frequently misdiagnosed as ordinary weight gain, and there is a surgical treatment for it.

Book a Consultation Does This Sound Like You?

No diagnosis needed
Virtual consultations
Out‑of‑state patients

A patient and a clinician sitting and talking in a bright consultation room

450+ five‑star reviews

Dr. Giselle Prado‑Wright, MD, MBA · Cosmetic Surgeon

Fort Myers and The Villages, FL

Virtual consultations available

Dr. Prado‑Wright featured in Real Simple

Business Insider

Does This Sound Like You?

The Pattern Most Patients Recognise

Your legs, hips, or arms carry weight your upper body does not
The fat is tender or painful to touch, not just present
You bruise easily, sometimes without remembering the knock
Your limbs feel heavy by the end of the day
It got worse around puberty, a pregnancy, or menopause
You have dieted and trained hard, and those areas did not change
Someone has told you it is just weight, and it never felt like the whole answer

If most of that list sounds like your life, this is worth having looked at properly.

Lipedema is a commonly misdiagnosed condition. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis — only an in-person evaluation can tell you what is actually going on.

A woman sitting on a sofa with her knees drawn up, resting her head on her hand

Often Missed

Many of our patients arrive after years of being told to try harder. That is not the conversation you will have here.

What Lipedema Is

A Condition, Not a Willpower Problem

A hand holding a pink tape measure against a plain wall

Lipedema is a chronic, progressive disorder in which fat cells accumulate abnormally — usually in the legs and hips, sometimes the arms.

It is not the same as obesity. The distribution is symmetrical and disproportionate, which is why the upper body often stays relatively slim while the lower limbs enlarge. It affects women overwhelmingly, and it typically begins or worsens during hormonal transitions such as puberty, pregnancy, or menopause.

Alongside the change in shape, patients live with pain, tenderness, easy bruising, and a heaviness in the affected limbs. And because the fat is resistant to conventional weight loss, years of dieting and training often produce very little change in exactly the areas that bother you most.

That combination is why lipedema is so frequently missed or mistaken for simple weight gain.

Staging

The Four Stages

Lipedema progresses. Knowing roughly where you are changes what treatment is aiming to do.

Stage 1

Fat accumulation is smooth and soft with an even texture. Swelling may come and go but usually settles with rest.

Stage 2

Deposits become more nodular and the skin takes on an uneven, mattress-like appearance. Bruising and tenderness increase.

Stage 3

Larger fat masses develop, causing significant contour irregularities. Mobility can be affected as the deposits grow heavier.

Stage 4

Lymphedema develops alongside the lipedema, with severe swelling, hardening of tissue, skin folds, and real functional limitation.

Staging is determined by clinical examination. Treatment is planned around the stage and distribution of your case, not a standard protocol.

How Surgery Helps

What Lipedema Liposuction Can and Cannot Do

What it does

Specialised liposuction

The affected fat is removed using cannulas chosen for fibrous lipedema tissue, worked in a way that protects the lymphatic vessels running through the treated limbs.

Removes the deposits diet cannot reach
Aims to reduce pain and tenderness
Aims to improve mobility and comfort
May help slow progression to later stages

What it is not

A weight loss procedure

This is not general body contouring and it is not a cure. Lipedema is chronic. Surgery treats the fat deposits it can reach, and the condition still needs managing afterwards.

Not a cure for lipedema
Not a substitute for conservative care
Not the same as cosmetic liposuction
Results and experience vary

Before Surgery

Preparation usually includes lab work, medication adjustments, and wearing compression garments for some weeks beforehand to settle the tissue.

The Procedure

How the Surgery Runs

1
Markings, standing
Your surgeon marks the treatment areas while you stand, outlining the lipedema tissue, the irregularities, and any asymmetry — so the plan follows your actual anatomy.
2
Comfort first
Medication is given to keep you comfortable and settled, dosed to your history and the length of the procedure.
3
Tumescent solution
Large volumes of a solution containing local anesthetic, epinephrine, and saline are infused into the marked areas. It numbs the tissue, limits bleeding, and makes the fat easier to release.
4
Micro-incisions
Access points of roughly three to four millimetres are placed in inconspicuous locations around the treatment areas.
5
Power-assisted removal
A motorised cannula works through the tissue in controlled passes, across multiple planes and directions, for even reduction through fibrous tissue.
6
Contouring and closure
Symmetry and contour are assessed continuously as tissue is removed. The incisions are then closed and compression applied.

Where skin laxity is a concern after removal, Renuvion skin tightening can be added, using helium plasma and radiofrequency energy to contract collagen beneath the skin. Whether it is appropriate for you is decided at consultation.

Recovery

What Recovery Actually Looks Like

A woman sitting in an armchair at home holding a mug, in low afternoon light

1
First 24 hours
Compression garments are on and stay on. Drainage of tumescent fluid is expected and normal. Short walks are encouraged to keep circulation moving; limbs are elevated at rest.
2
Week one
Drainage decreases while bruising and swelling typically peak. Compression is worn almost continuously, off only to shower. Walking distance builds gradually. Most patients take the whole week off.
3
Weeks two to four
Comfort and mobility improve noticeably and swelling starts to settle. Light activity such as walking and gentle swimming may resume. Manual lymphatic drainage often begins in this window. Most return to sedentary work; physical jobs take longer.
4
Months two to six
Results continue to refine as swelling resolves and tissue adapts. Most patients are back to all normal activity. Follow-ups track progress, and subtle change can continue past six months.

Timelines describe what is typical. Your recovery depends on your stage, the areas treated, and how your body heals — your surgeon will give you guidance specific to you.

Candidacy

Who This Is For

A lipedema picture

Either a confirmed diagnosis, or a presentation consistent with lipedema on examination. You do not need the diagnosis in hand first.

Symptoms that persist

Pain, heaviness, and disproportionate deposits that have not resolved with conservative treatment.

Good general health

No uncontrolled conditions that would complicate surgery or healing.

Stable weight

A steady weight rather than significant recent fluctuation, so the result reflects the tissue being treated.

Two Locations

Fort Myers and The Villages, Florida. Your coordinator will tell you which one your procedure would be at.

Traveling to Us

Coming From Out of State

Start virtually

A virtual consultation means you do not travel to find out whether surgery is even appropriate for you.

Fly into RSW

Southwest Florida International Airport is roughly seven miles from the office — under fifteen minutes.

Transport arranged

Tell your patient care coordinator you are coming from out of town and the team arranges transport to and from the airport.

Partner hotels

The practice works with hotels near the office, including Homewood Suites and Crowne Plaza Bell Tower, both a short drive away.

Patients travel to Exert BodySculpt for lipedema surgery from outside Florida. If that is you, say so early and the team will plan the trip around your procedure and your follow-ups.

The Exert BodySculpt building in Fort Myers, seen from the entrance — The Fort Myers office — 12370 S Cleveland Ave

The waiting area, with seating and a reception desk — Waiting area and reception

A treatment room with a procedure chair and cabinetry — A treatment room

Cost

What It Costs

$6,000–$20,000

Per session, Fort Myers

Where you land in that range depends on the stage of your lipedema, how many areas are treated, and the techniques required. Treatment is often staged across more than one session.

You will receive an accurate quote at your consultation, after an evaluation — not before one.

Financing partners

We work with third‑party financing partners so payments can be spread over time. Approval, terms, and rates are set by the lender, not by us.

Some patients also pursue insurance reimbursement. What is realistic for your plan is something we will talk through honestly at your consultation.

CareCredit — Healthcare credit card with flexible terms

PatientFi — Looks beyond credit score alone

Financing is provided by third-party lenders and is subject to their approval. Terms, rates, and eligibility vary by applicant. Exert BodySculpt does not determine credit decisions. Nothing on this page should be read as a statement that any insurer will cover or reimburse treatment. Partner names and logos are the property of their respective owners.

Before & After

Real Patients, Real Results

Every body responds differently. These are actual Exert BodySculpt lipedema patients.

Before and after thigh and hip lipedema at Exert BodySculpt — Thigh & hip lipedema

Before and after thigh lipedema at Exert BodySculpt — Thigh lipedema

Before and after thighxpress at Exert BodySculpt — ThighXpress

+3more cases

See the Full Gallery

6 lipedema cases from our Fort Myers office — thighs, hips, knees and lower legs. Actual patients, not models.

Results vary. Individual results may differ. Photographs show actual Exert BodySculpt patients who consented to the use of their images. They are provided for informational purposes only and are not a promise, guarantee, or prediction of any particular outcome. Lipedema is a chronic condition and surgery is not a cure for it.

Patient Story

“My Arms Were Always Swollen”

Amber came to Exert BodySculpt for lipedema affecting her arms. This is her account of it.

Amber, Exert BodySculpt lipedema patient

AmberLipedema — arm liposuction · Watch her story

Amber's procedures were arm and chin liposuction. Her experience is her own and is not a guarantee that anyone else will have the same experience or outcome. Individual results may differ.

Giselle Prado-Wright, MD, MBA — **Giselle Prado‑Wright, MD, MBA**Cosmetic Surgeon · Exert BodySculpt

Meet Your Surgeon

Meet Dr. Giselle Prado‑Wright

Dr. Giselle is a cosmetic surgeon specialising in liposuction and body contouring. Lipedema surgery is a distinct discipline within that — the tissue behaves differently and the lymphatic system has to be respected — and her technique is adapted for it rather than borrowed from cosmetic liposuction.

She is direct. She will tell you what surgery can realistically change for you, what it cannot, and whether staging treatment across more than one session makes sense in your case.

MD, MBACosmetic SurgeonBody ContouringFort Myers & The Villages, FL

Watch Dr. Giselle introduce herself

Media Mentions

Business Insider — on men seeking ab etching, and when she steers clients away
Business Insider — on the one filler she asks patients not to get

Ask Anything

Bring the questions you have been carrying for years. You will get straight answers, not a sales pitch.

Questions

Lipedema, Answered

How do I know if I have lipedema and not just weight gain?

Lipedema fat is distributed symmetrically and disproportionately — the upper body often stays relatively slim while the legs, hips, and sometimes arms enlarge. It is usually painful or tender to the touch, bruises easily, and feels heavy. Most tellingly, it does not respond to dieting or exercise the way ordinary fat does.

It is a commonly misdiagnosed condition, and a lot of our patients have spent years being told to lose weight. An in-person evaluation is how this actually gets answered.

Do I need a diagnosis before I book?

No. Many patients come to us without a formal diagnosis, having worked out on their own that something does not add up. Dr. Prado-Wright will assess the distribution and stage of what is going on and tell you plainly what she sees.

Is this the same as regular liposuction?

The technique is adapted for it. Lipedema tissue is more fibrous than ordinary fat, and the lymphatic system in the affected limbs needs to be protected during removal — so the approach, the cannulas, and the way the surgeon works through the tissue all differ.

The goal is different too. This is about reducing pain and improving mobility, not general body contouring.

Can liposuction cure lipedema?

No, and we would not tell you otherwise. Lipedema is a chronic condition. What surgery can do is remove the affected fat deposits, which for many patients reduces pain, improves mobility, and helps slow progression toward later stages.

Results and experience vary between individuals.

How many sessions will I need?

That depends on the stage, how many areas are affected, and how much can safely be treated at once. Treatment is often staged across more than one session. You will get a specific plan at your consultation rather than a guess here.

What is recovery like?

Compression garments are worn from day one and are the single most important part of early recovery. Bruising and swelling typically peak in the first week, and most patients take that week off. Light activity such as walking resumes early and is encouraged.

Manual lymphatic drainage usually begins in the weeks that follow. Most patients are back to sedentary work within two to four weeks, with physically demanding jobs taking longer. Refinement continues over several months. Recovery varies between individuals.

Will insurance cover this?

Lipedema is a recognised medical condition, and some patients do pursue reimbursement from their insurer. How that works depends entirely on your plan.

We will go through what is and is not realistic for your situation at your consultation, honestly. We would rather set expectations properly than have you find out later.

I do not live in Florida. Can you still treat me?

Yes — patients travel to us for this. Start with a virtual consultation, and if surgery is appropriate our patient care coordinator will help plan the trip: airport transport, partner hotels near the office, and the timing of your follow-ups before you fly home.

Next Step

Find Out What Is Actually Going On

A consultation is where this stops being guesswork. Dr. Prado-Wright will assess what you are dealing with, tell you the stage, and be honest about what surgery can and cannot change.

If you are travelling in, start with a virtual consultation — you should not have to fly somewhere to find out whether you are a candidate.

Call or text 239-799-2029

12370 S Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907

Book Your Consultation

Takes under a minute. We'll reach out to schedule.

First name Please enter your first name.

Last name Please enter your last name.

Phone Please enter a phone number we can reach you at.

Email Please enter a valid email address.

What are you dealing with?

Preferred contact method

How did you hear about us? (optional)

Anything you want us to know (optional)

Please check this box so we can contact you.

Submitting this form requests a consultation. It does not book an appointment: a member of our team will contact you to schedule.

Request received

Thanks for reaching out. Someone from our team will be in touch shortly to get your consultation scheduled — virtual if you are travelling in. Your appointment is not booked yet.