I was diagnosed with stage 2 earlier this year and had surgery with the wonderful Mr Karri at the end of September. I decided upon surgery to try to help stop any progression of the condition & protect my future mobility however, what I have found from the results is amazing.

I have always been extremely active however I did notice my legs easily felt fatigued & had a burning on my thighs which I never realised wasn’t normal. Having had the surgery this feeling has gone. Upon returning to exercise I did 25 minutes straight off on the cross trainer despite 6 weeks off. The other day I mucked out 2 horses, rode 1 of them, walked the dog and had an hours ski all in 1 day with no pain, feeling of lactic acid or burning. I can regularly do 20 mins on cross trainer or bike, usual ride & muck out horses & walk the dog all in the day with no aching or pain etc. I have still some affected areas at the back of my legs I can actually feel the nodules compared to where I’ve had surgery. I m so pleased with the results I’ve booked in again to have it completed and rid myself of the horrible stuff.

Added to recovery I am still wearing compression & have been having a weekly MLD which will gradually be phased out to monthly. 2 changes I’ve also made are cutting out as much refined sugar as possible & Diet Coke. I hope this helps for anyone looking at surgery, I know not everyone is the same but for me It’s been positive X

My friend finally after over 20 years of going to the doctors with her legs and being told she was overweight and unlucky to carry her fat on her legs was referred to Dr Vasu Karri who diagnosed her with Lipoedema. From the first meeting with Dr Karri my friend has had a totally different outlook on life.
Over the years she gradually put on weight all over as her legs got bigger and more painful and her confidence diminished as she fell into quite a depressive cycle of life but now she is a totally different person she has had several surgeries now on her legs and the day to day pain has gone and with the successful out come of the surgeries, support and personal chats with Dr Karri, his wife and team at the Karri Clinic her confidence has grown, she has lost over 3 stone in weight from a healthy eating plan and is now exercising daily and wearing clothes ( jeans etc) that she could never even dream of let alone wear them!
I cannot thank Dr Karri, Mrs Karri and the team for giving my friend the chance to live a normal everyday life that we all take for granted and she has longed for over years.

What made you decide that surgery was the best option for you?

I self-diagnosed lipoedema – confirmed by the GP once she’d found out what it was. I wasn’t offered any treatment, did my own research and found out about the surgery being carried out in Europe.

What influenced your decision to choose Mr Karri/The Karri Clinic?

I was considering travelling to Germany, when I attended a conference and met Mr Karri. I later found out he was going to get a WAL machine and as he was the only surgeon I knew of in the UK using this technique, and had met and liked him, I decided to opt for surgery with Mr Karri.

How was your overall experience?

Everyone is so kind and caring, and Mr Karri goes to great lengths to look after patients (Mr Karri even had me stay at his house so he could keep an eye on me after my blood pressure dropped). The surgery is not very painful afterwards – main issue is the fluid leaking out afterwards, which stops in a day of two.

Since your surgery, how has your day-to-day life changed?

I am now pretty much pain free (from having legs so painful that my skinny old cat couldn’t stand on my thighs). Mobility has hugely improved – I wasn’t able to get in and out of the bath before surgery and now I can do that, can garden on my knees and have no problem walking round the shops all day with my daughters. I’m wearing skirts for the first time in 10 years!

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering surgery?

It’s really worth doing if you have the funding and your quality of life is being affected by lipoedema. It was the only option to halt progression of my disease, having lived with it undiagnosed and untreated for 25 years, and I can now work on keeping it at bay.

What made you decide that surgery was the best option for you?

There was not really any other option and my pain was getting worse.

What influenced your decision to choose Mr Karri/The Karri Clinic?

Good reviews and close to me.

How was your overall experience?

Excellent, it was like being at a painful health spa!
The staff ran around and did everything to help me all day. Everyone was really friendly.

Since your surgery, how has your day-to-day life changed?

I have dropped from a size 20/22 to a 14/16. I have noticed improvement in the way I walk and less ankle pain/cramps.

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering surgery?

I would definitely consider it, worth every penny and the pain. I still have a long way to go but have seen drastic results in just one operation.

If you’d like to comment further, you are most welcome to do so.

I thought the surgery/Mr Karri was that good, I am considering other types of surgery at the practice in future.

What made you decide that surgery was the best option for you?

Years of pain, discomfort and physical limitations. Despite exercise there was no size reduction. This had a detrimental psychological effect.

What influenced your decision to choose Mr Karri/The Karri Clinic?

I did research Mr Karri’s work and results and felt comfortable that he would perform an excellent procedure. I was more than impressed.

How was your overall experience?

Pre-surgery care was excellent by Mr Karri and his team. Post-surgery was excellent. Highly recommend.

Since your surgery, how has your day-to-day life changed?

I literally feel like a weight has been lifted! I am back training again, losing weight and constantly active, pain free.

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering surgery?

I wish I had done this years ago. I wasted time and physical limitations that I ignored. Please consider it! It will change your quality of life very quickly.

If you’d like to comment further, you are most welcome to do so.

The recovery, although not easy, was better than expected. I cannot stress how much that the “rest” after the surgery should be taken seriously. Although I have scars, which are fading nicely, they are not an issue and the end result far outweighs this very slight side effect.

What made you decide that surgery was the best option for you?

I had struggled with this conditioned for as long as I can remember, backwards and forwards over the years to my GP, complaining about my legs and the pain, just to be told to go away and lose weight, so finally after years, being told I had lipoedema to me surgery was my only option.

What influenced your decision to choose Mr Karri/The Karri Clinic?

Dr Karri was recommended to me through a work colleague and I was very lucky that he specialised in my condition and the treatment/surgery needed.

How was your overall experience?

Fantastic, after a lifetime of feeling embarrassed about my condition, never once from walking into Dr Karri’s front door did I feel embarrassed, his staff were so professional, caring and empathetic. I couldn’t ask for a better to have looked after me, wonderful.

Since your surgery, how has your day-to-day life changed?

Everything about my general lifestyle has changed dramatically. Firstly, a massive reduction in pain in my legs and feet, improved mobility, increased confidence, feeling like a normal person for the first time in years, and not to have to worry if I would end up in a wheelchair in the future is the biggest worry gone.

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering surgery?

Although it is not an easy option, if it’s your only option, I wouldn’t hesitate. I would advise do your own research. It’s not an easy road to go down, but for me has been the most rewarding journey I have been on. Also be realistic about what you want to achieve. For example, to walk and not be in pain, full of confidence, being able to wear normal ordinary clothes that most people take for granted, like I own my first pair of jeans and I’m ecstatic, I can’t remember ever feeling so good about myself.
All along Dr Karri was very professional and honest to what we would achieve, due to the fact that I was already in the later stages of the condition.

If you’d like to comment further, you are most welcome to do so.

I would recommend Dr Karri and his team to anyone who is considering this type of treatment for lipoedema, as without him, I honestly don’t know where I would be today, probably very close to have been in that wheelchair for the rest of my life and not being able to work. He has given me my life back and I couldn’t thank him and his team enough.

What made you decide that surgery was the best option for you?

In October 2015, I attended the annual ‘Lipoedema Ladies’ conference. I was fortunate to be offered one of the free ‘mini’ consultations with Mr Karri, that had been scheduled following his presentation to the group. Until that point, I had always thought that if I were to contemplate Liposuction for the Lipoedema affecting my lower legs, thighs and upper arms, I would probably need to travel to Germany – not something that I was really prepared to consider. However, that mini consultation was a real  ‘light bulb’ moment for me – not only did I have the diagnosis confirmed but treatment was possible, here in the UK and Mr Karri was confident that he could achieve a good outcome should I decide to go ahead with surgery.

In December I travelled to The Karri Clinic (from X) for a full consultation.  Mr Karri explained what the surgery would involve, the areas to be treated and the anticipated outcome. As the surgery was to treat all the affected areas in one procedure, it was, in my case, necessary for me to have general anaesthetic. The surgery was booked and I was admitted to Goole hospital in January 2016. The staff were kind, caring and professional during my overnight stay.

What influenced your decision to choose Mr Karri/The Karri Clinic?

Sometimes in life you meet someone, who, in short space of time, manages to convey such genuine interest and empathy for what you are experiencing daily (painful, chunky, bruised legs and arms with added lymphedema, compression tights etc., etc.), that you know instinctively this he/she is someone you can trust, in this instance, for me, it was Mr Karri

How was your overall experience?

The thought of having ‘new arms and legs’ was what kept me upbeat during those first weeks post-surgery. The swelling and bruising were painful and the six week battle with compression garments was ‘interesting’ but I knew that it was not for ever and wearing the garments was an essential element to achieving a good outcome.

Since the surgery, how has your day-to- day life changed?

It is hard to express how delighted I am, I no longer suffer the painful bruising and the associated lymphedema that had also developed, necessitating the wearing of compression tights (not anymore!) nor the cold, pale legs, sensitive to heat. Now, for the first time since pre-teens, I have lovely shaped lower legs instead of ‘tree trunks’. Without wishing to sound vain, I am no longer embarrassed by my legs but have a new-found confidence and am loving wearing knee length dresses and skirts. I can also easily buy knee high boots without the embarrassment of the zips not doing up.

Do you have any advice for others who may be considering surgery?

Yes, go and see Mr Karri!
Take a list of the of questions that you may need answering – it’s easy to forget on the day
Have realistic expectations of the outcome that can be achieved through potential surgery
Follow the post-surgery advice e.g. wearing any compression garments for the required number of weeks