Precision Contour
& Surgical Mastery
Specialist care in lipedema reduction, gynaecomastia repair & precision skin tightening, delivered with advanced techniques that prioritise safety, symmetry & natural contour refinement.
"Our approach focuses on medical necessity combined with aesthetic finesse."
Core Surgical Specialisms
Advanced surgical solutions designed to restore function, confidence, and physiological balance.
Lipoedema Reduction
A medical-grade approach to managing chronic adipose tissue. We use VASER liposuction London and lymph-sparing techniques to reduce pain, improve mobility, and restore limb proportions.
- Lymph-sparing Vaser/PAL
- Pain reduction focus
- Comprehensive aftercare
Gynaecomastia Repair
Addressing male breast tissue through precision excision and liposuction. Designed to create a flat, masculine chest contour with minimal scarring.
- Glandular excision
- Definition contouring
- Rapid recovery protocol
Skin Tightening
Advanced energy-based technology integrated with liposuction to ensure skin retracts smoothly, avoiding the need for extensive skin excision surgery.
- Plasma/RF integration
- Internal dermal heating
- Collagen stimulation
Our Clinical Approach
We utilise a multi-modal approach to surgical contouring. By combining Ultrasound (UAL) and Power-Assisted (PAL) techniques with advanced minimally invasive skin tightening, we achieve superior tissue selective results with significantly reduced downtime. Learn more about Dr Edwin Anthony GMC 4776646 and his approach to advanced body contouring and aesthetic treatments.
Anatomic Symmetry
Using precision marking to ensure perfect visual balance.
Safe Anaesthesia
Local anaesthesia or IV sedation options for patient safety.
Begin Your Transformation
Discuss your surgical goals with our leading medical specialists in a private, one-to-one consultation.
Medical liposuction at Contoura Medical is surgery for conditions rather than purely cosmetic concerns: mainly lipoedema, using lymph-sparing VASER and power-assisted liposuction, plus gynaecomastia and skin tightening. Dr Edwin Anthony performs it at Langham Hospital, Marylebone, London.
What lipoedema is
Lipoedema is a long-term condition in which fat builds up abnormally, usually in both legs and sometimes the arms. The NHS describes it as mainly affecting women and suggests hormonal changes, such as puberty, pregnancy and the menopause, may play a part. It is not caused by overeating, and it is different from obesity and from lymphoedema.
How common it is remains uncertain. A StatPearls review notes estimates ranging from 1 in 72,000 people to around 11% of adults, a spread that reflects how often it is missed or mislabelled as weight gain.
Symptoms and stages
Typical signs include:
- Enlarged hips, thighs and lower legs out of proportion to the upper body, with the feet usually spared
- Arms affected in some women, with the hands usually spared
- Pain, tenderness, heaviness and easy bruising
- Soft, cool skin that may feel nodular underneath
- Fat that changes little with diet and exercise
Lipoedema is commonly described in four stages:
- Stage 1: smooth skin surface over thickened, nodular fat.
- Stage 2: uneven, dimpled skin with larger fat nodules.
- Stage 3: large folds and lobules of skin and fat, often around the knees and thighs.
- Stage 4: lipoedema with lymphoedema, sometimes called lipo-lymphoedema.
Conservative care comes first
Surgery is not the first step. The NHS recommends a healthy diet and activity, compression garments, good skin care and psychological support, and we ask patients to have established these before we discuss liposuction. Many women also benefit from a lymphoedema service or specialist physiotherapist. Keeping weight stable matters because ordinary fat on top of lipoedema makes symptoms worse, even though lipoedema fat itself is resistant to dieting.
How lymph-sparing liposuction works
Where pain, heaviness or mobility remain a problem despite conservative care, liposuction may reduce the volume of abnormal fat. Dr Anthony combines VASER ultrasound, which loosens fat gently, with power-assisted liposuction, using fine blunt cannulas moved along the length of the limb rather than across it. This lymph-sparing approach aims to protect the lymphatic vessels that run lengthways under the skin.
- Large volumes of dilute local anaesthetic fluid are infiltrated first, with IV sedation available
- Treatment is usually staged over more than one session, keeping each within safe volume limits
- Compression is worn immediately afterwards and for several months
NICE interventional procedures guidance, published on 29 March 2022, says evidence on the safety of liposuction for chronic lipoedema is inadequate and raises concerns about major adverse events including fluid imbalance, fat embolism, deep vein thrombosis and local anaesthetic toxicity. NICE recommends it is only done in the context of research, with patients selected by a multidisciplinary team including lipoedema experts, and only in specialist centres by experienced surgeons. We explain this guidance at consultation. Our own approach is cautious: careful selection, staged sessions, hospital theatres with anaesthetic support, blood clot prevention, and communication with your GP and any lymphoedema team involved in your care.
Procedure day and recovery
- Day of surgery: a day case at Langham Hospital. NICE notes that surgery typically takes 1 to 4 hours, depending on limb size.
- First 48 hours: drainage of excess fluid through the entry points is normal. Walking regularly is encouraged.
- Week 1: review with the team. Most patients manage light activities within a few days.
- Weeks 2 to 6: bruising settles, compression is worn day and night, and exercise is built up gradually.
- Months 3 to 6: swelling continues to reduce. Many patients remain in compression long term.
Liposuction does not cure lipoedema. The aim is less pain, easier movement and better limb proportions. Some patients need more than one operation, and the condition may still progress.
Gynaecomastia and skin tightening
Gynaecomastia: male chest fullness caused by fat, gland or both is treated with VASER liposuction, adding small-incision gland removal where needed, usually under local anaesthetic. A 2025 study of 960 men treated this way reported a 1.7% complication rate. See our gynaecomastia guide.
Skin tightening: when fat is removed from an area with reduced elasticity, energy-based devices can be used during the same operation to encourage the skin to contract. Options include Renuvion helium plasma and QuantumRF radiofrequency beneath the skin. This can reduce, but not always remove, the need for skin excision surgery.
How lipoedema compares with other conditions
| Feature | Lipoedema | Obesity | Lymphoedema |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who it affects | Almost always women | Men and women | Men and women |
| Distribution | Symmetrical, legs and sometimes arms, feet spared | General, including trunk | Often one-sided, feet or hands swollen |
| Pain and bruising | Common | Uncommon | Heaviness more than pain |
| Response to diet | Limited in affected areas | Usually good | Limited |
| Main treatments | Conservative care, then liposuction in selected cases | Diet, activity, medical support | Compression and lymphatic therapy |
Why patients choose Dr Edwin Anthony
- Dr Edwin Anthony, Lead Clinician, Contoura Medical (GMC 4776646), performs every procedure himself
- Member of the International Lipoedema Association and a Lipoedema UK recognised clinician
- Over 1,500 VASER procedures and 14 years of dedicated VASER practice
- Trinity College Dublin (MB BCh BAO), MRCS (Edinburgh), NHS plastic surgery and burns training
- Surgery at Langham Hospital under its CQC registration, two minutes' walk from Great Portland Street and Regent's Park stations
Related procedures
- Vaser Lipo
- Gynaecomastia correction
- Skin tightening options
- Body contouring overview
- See our price list
Consultations take place at Langham Hospital, 77 Hallam Street, Marylebone, London W1W 5HB, or by video, which suits many lipoedema patients travelling from outside London. Call 020 3890 1911. Consultation fees are fixed and are not deducted from treatment prices. Your full price is confirmed in writing after consultation, with hospital theatre fees and any IV sedation itemised; see our price list. Finance is available through Chrysalis Finance. Book a consultation
Speak to Dr Edwin Anthony
Consultations take place at Langham Hospital, 77 Hallam Street, Marylebone, London W1W 5HB, or by video. Consultation fees are fixed and are not deducted from treatment prices.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if I have lipoedema?
Lipoedema usually causes symmetrical enlargement of the hips, thighs and legs, with the feet spared, alongside pain, heaviness and easy bruising. The fat changes little with dieting. Diagnosis is clinical, based on history and examination. Dr Anthony assesses this at consultation, and your GP or a lymphoedema service can also help confirm it and rule out other causes.
Should I try conservative treatment before surgery?
Yes. Compression garments, regular movement, skin care, a stable weight and psychological support are the foundation of lipoedema care, and they remain important after surgery too. We usually want these in place for some months before discussing liposuction, so that any operation is added to good conservative care rather than replacing it.
What is lymph-sparing liposuction?
It is liposuction designed to protect the lymphatic vessels, which run along the length of the limbs. Dr Anthony uses VASER to loosen fat gently, then fine blunt power-assisted cannulas moved lengthways rather than across the limb, after infiltrating dilute local anaesthetic fluid. The aim is to reduce abnormal fat while limiting damage to lymphatic drainage.
What does NICE say about liposuction for lipoedema?
NICE guidance from March 2022 states that evidence on safety is inadequate and raises concerns about serious complications such as fluid imbalance, fat embolism and blood clots. It recommends the procedure is done only in the context of research, with multidisciplinary patient selection and experienced surgeons in specialist centres. Dr Anthony discusses this openly with every patient.
Is lipoedema liposuction done under general anaesthetic?
At Contoura Medical it is usually performed with tumescent local anaesthetic, with IV sedation given by an anaesthetist if you would like to be drowsy and relaxed. Treatment is carried out as a day case at Langham Hospital. Larger treatment plans are divided into separate sessions to keep each operation within safe volume limits.
How many operations will I need?
Many patients need two or more sessions, because legs and arms are usually treated in stages rather than all at once. The number depends on how many areas are affected, the stage of lipoedema and your general health. Dr Anthony sets out a staged plan at consultation, with a written quote for each part.
How much does lipoedema surgery cost?
Cost depends on the number of areas, how many sessions are needed and whether IV sedation is used. Hospital theatre fees are itemised separately. Dr Anthony confirms the full price in writing after consultation, and our price list shows current guide figures. The NHS notes that liposuction for lipoedema may not be available on the NHS, and finance is available through Chrysalis Finance.
What results can I expect?
The main aims are less pain, less heaviness, easier movement and better proportions between the upper and lower body. Improvement develops as swelling settles over three to six months. Liposuction does not cure lipoedema, results vary between patients, and compression and a stable weight remain important afterwards to maintain the benefit.
What are the risks of liposuction for lipoedema?
Common effects include bruising, swelling, soreness, fluid drainage and temporary numbness. Less common risks are infection, contour irregularity, loose skin, seroma and changes to lymphatic drainage. Rare but serious risks include blood clots, fat embolism, fluid imbalance and local anaesthetic toxicity. Careful selection, staged volumes and hospital-based care are used to reduce these risks.
Who performs medical liposuction at Contoura Medical?
Dr Edwin Anthony, Lead Clinician at Contoura Medical, performs every procedure personally at Langham Hospital. He is GMC registered (4776646), a member of the International Lipoedema Association, a Lipoedema UK recognised clinician, and has completed over 1,500 VASER procedures across 14 years of dedicated VASER practice.
Sources
Your journey with Contoura
A clear, unhurried process, led by Dr Edwin Anthony from first conversation to final review.
- 01
Consultation
Meet Dr Anthony in person at Langham Hospital or by video. A full assessment of your goals and suitability.
- 02
Your written plan
Your options, expected results, recovery and full costs in writing. You'll always have time to reflect before booking surgery.
- 03
Your procedure
Performed personally by Dr Anthony in a hospital setting at Langham Hospital, Marylebone.
- 04
Aftercare
Follow-up reviews and support from our patient care team throughout your recovery.