Margarita Correa MD CLT - Lymphedema / Lipedema Physician

08/12/2026

𝗟𝗶𝗽𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮 & 𝗟𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮: 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗦𝗼 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿?

Lipedema and lymphedema are different conditions, but they can overlap. Lipolymphedema is not limited to advanced disease. In our practice, we have seen earlier-stage lipedema with evidence of impaired lymphatic flow. Emerging research suggests lymphatic changes may occur before obvious lymphedema develops. Individual evaluation matters.

08/08/2026

Over the past few months, I have evaluated two patients with pre-existing lipedema who were later diagnosed with lower extremity lymphedema after undergoing a 360 body contouring procedure. Importantly, the leg swelling did not occur immediately after surgery but developed later.

In one patient, lymphoscintigraphy showed delayed lymphatic flow. No preoperative lymphatic assessment was available, so the baseline lymphatic status remains unknown. The patient reports having no significant leg swelling before surgery despite the lipedema diagnosis.

This post is not meant to criticize plastic surgery but to raise awareness that some patients with lipedema may have underlying lymphatic vulnerabilities. Careful patient selection, counseling, and postoperative monitoring, along with collaboration between plastic surgeons and lymphedema specialists, may help improve outcomes.

More research is needed to better understand this connection.

06/11/2026

Looking back at a presentation I gave years ago on Lipedema. While awareness has grown, this condition remains underdiagnosed and frequently misunderstood.

After more than two decades working with patients with lipedema and lymphedema, I continue to be inspired by their resilience and encouraged by the progress being made in education, research, and patient advocacy.

The document discusses lipedema, a chronic and often misdiagnosed condition characterized by symmetrical edema and fatty deposits in the lower limbs, primarily affecting women with a prevalence of 11% to 18%. It details the stages and types of lipedema, associated comorbidities, diagnostic methods,....

06/06/2026

PM&R Physician Opportunity – Orlando, Florida

Join an established physician-owned outpatient PM&R practice with opportunities in:

✔ EMG/NCS
✔ Musculoskeletal & Sports Medicine
✔ Neurologic Rehabilitation
✔ Chronic Pain Management

Established referral network. Established patient volume from day one. Collaborative practice environment.

No weekends. No hospital call.

Interested in learning more? Let’s connect.
[email protected]

03/30/2026

💙🩺❤️

03/02/2026

March is Lymphedema Awareness Month 💙🌍💚

01/22/2026

🩺 Lipedema: Seeing Beneath the Surface with Ultrasound

Lipedema is a medical condition that can cause painful fat, swelling, heaviness, and easy bruising, yet many patients are told for years that it’s simply weight-related.

Ultrasound is a safe, non-invasive tool that allows us to look beneath the skin and better understand soft tissue patterns that may be consistent with lipedema.
It can support clinical evaluation, enhance patient education, and help guide individualized care.

Ultrasound is not a stand-alone diagnostic test and does not replace a comprehensive medical evaluation. It is used as an adjunct tool, alongside history, physical examination, and clinical judgment.

We believe patients deserve to be heard, validated, and informed — especially with conditions that are often misunderstood.

📌 Ultrasound imaging is provided for educational and clinical support purposes and requires a patient acknowledgment/waiver.

⚠️ Illustrative image for educational purposes only. Not a real patient.

12/18/2025

💙 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙂𝙇𝙋-1 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 (𝙎𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙚 & 𝙏𝙞𝙧𝙯𝙚𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙚): 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬

Many patients have used compounded GLP-1 medications — not to judge or alarm.

✔️ Important points:
• Compounded GLP-1s are not FDA-approved, meaning they aren’t reviewed the same way as Ozempic®, Wegovy®, or Mounjaro®
• Some compounded versions may differ in ingredient form, concentration, or dosing
• Most reported side effects are similar to brand-name GLP-1s, but dosing errors are more common with compounded vials

🔎 If you are using a compounded GLP-1, it’s reasonable to:
• Confirm it comes from a licensed U.S. pharmacy
• Ask what form of the medication is used (this matters)
• Make sure dosing instructions are clear and well understood
• Store it properly (refrigerated) and check expiration dates

🌿 Bottom line:
Compounded GLP-1s were widely used during shortages. As availability improves, care decisions should focus on safety, transparency, and individualized guidance.

👩‍⚕️ Shared for patient education and safety from a clinical perspective.

💙 You deserve informed, respectful care — always.



𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵, 𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

12/12/2025

GLP-1 Medications (Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Mounjaro®, Zepbound®) and Lipedema — Clinical Overview

GLP-1 receptor agonists can offer meaningful metabolic and inflammatory benefits for some individuals with lipedema. While these medications support weight reduction and systemic health, current evidence indicates they do not selectively eliminate lipedema-specific adipose tissue.

Potential benefits may include:
• Reduction of non-lipedema (metabolic) fat
• Decreased systemic inflammation and fluid retention
• Improvement in pain, limb heaviness, and functional mobility in some patients
• Particularly helpful when lipedema coexists with obesity, insulin resistance, or metabolic syndrome

Current limitations:
• Do not specifically remove lipedema nodules
• Do not reverse fibrotic lipedema tissue
• Do not constitute a cure for lipedema

Clinical perspective:
Many patients experience overall body size reduction and symptomatic relief; however, disproportionate fat distribution in lipedema-affected areas may persist. GLP-1 therapies should be viewed as a supportive component of care, most effective when integrated with compression therapy, lymphatic support, individualized movement, and comprehensive medical management.

💙 Empowered patients make informed decisions


ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏsᴛ ɪs ғᴏʀ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴀs ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴀ sᴜʙsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏғᴇssɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴇᴠᴀʟᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.

06/07/2025

🔬 Connective Tissue Abnormalities in Lipedema
🧱 Structural Changes
• Thickened fibrotic septa divide fat lobules.
• Dense extracellular matrix (ECM) with excess collagen types I & III.
• Loss of tissue elasticity and reduced skin recoil.
💧 Fluid Retention
• ECM contains excess hyaluronic acid and proteoglycans, which hold water.
• Lymphatic drainage is impaired due to stiffened connective tissue → swelling and heaviness.
🩸 Capillary Fragility
• Fragile capillaries lead to easy bruising with minor pressure or trauma.
🔁 Chronic Inflammation & Tissue Remodeling
• Elevated matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-2, MMP-9) degrade collagen and alter ECM.
• Ongoing fibrosis and low-grade inflammation contribute to disease progression.
💡 Clinical Implications
• Fat is resistant to weight loss through diet or exercise.
• Symptoms include pain, swelling, heaviness, and sensitivity.
• Compression, manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), and liposuction help manage symptoms but do not reverse ECM fibrosis.

ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴏsᴛ ɪs ғᴏʀ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟ ᴇᴅᴜᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴜʀᴘᴏsᴇs ᴏɴʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴᴛᴇɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴀs ɪɴᴅɪᴠɪᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀᴅᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴀ sᴜʙsᴛɪᴛᴜᴛᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏғᴇssɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴇᴠᴀʟᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.