Dr. Papageorgiou: “Hi Adrian, good to see you. You look good. You’ve lost weight.”

Dr. Zacharie: “Yes, almost 10kg, now I look like you did back in Berlin.”

(both laugh)

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Yes, that’s true. But let’s not talk about Berlin. Because of the numerous liposuctions, I had actually lost a lot of weight back then as well. You are now in Potsdam, senior physician in the very well-known Clinic for Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, Ernst von Bergmann Hospital and responsible for liposuction there. How many liposuctions do you do in a day?”

Dr. Zacharie: “As many as 2-3 a day.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Yes, it keeps you fit. So after 2-3 liposuctions a day, you definitely don’t need any more gymnastics. After all, you’re exhausted. You have such a high calorie consumption as a surgeon, afterwards I often needed a good meal and a cold beer.”

Dr. Zacharie: “Yes, that usually helps. Rarely do I treat myself to a 2nd beer.”

(both laugh)

Dr. Papageorgiou: “One week ago, at the beginning of October, you had the world as your guest in Potsdam. The first Lipedema World Congress and your department as host. That is really something special. You also operated live there. What’s new to report?”

Dr. Zacharie: “I don’t have to tell you anything. You almost got on my nerves back in Berlin with your hour-long analyses of receptors and biochemical correlations.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Okay, let’s leave it at that, but we can also state for our readers that the diagnosis of lipedema is now also increasingly scientifically substantiated.”

Dr. Zacharie: “That’s right. More and more we understand the correlations and are thus able to diagnose better as well. Liposuction as a treatment for lipedema is now clearly defined and needs no further discussion.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “What do you do differently in Potsdam than we did in Berlin? We had gained very good experience with our sequential liposuction method. A technique that I continue to develop and refine to this day. However, I am missing you as a surgeon to complete our team. With this technique we were able to operate incredibly fast and effectively. And the patients were also doing very well postoperatively because of the short duration of surgery.”

Dr. Zacharie: “The department in Potsdam already had its own Golden Standard before I started working, as most departments do. This one also works very successfully. Since we rarely aspirate larger volumes in one session, but rather tend to do several small sessions, there is a different starting point here and thus a different approach to solving the problem.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Clearly, two very different approaches. There are arguments and counter-arguments for both. In the end, you also have to decide on a case-by-case basis what is best for the patient. Many smaller operations or one large one.

But that’s already lipedema philosophy we’re discussing here, what’s new on the market? Is there already the lipedema app?”

(both laugh)

Dr. Papageorgiou: “You are also a general surgeon. What attracts you to liposuction?”

Dr. Zacharie: “It’s just this incredible effectiveness. After all, liposuction performed by a specialist in this field is always highly effective and with an incredible benefit for the patient. It’s that unbeatable combination of effectiveness and benefit that always excites me.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “That’s exactly how I feel. The benefit, functionally and aesthetically, but also biochemically, at the metabolic level, is impressive.

What’s less impressive about the many liposuctions you perform?”

Dr. Zacharie: “Similar to you, I have developed calluses on some parts of my hand, so here, for example, inside of my thumb.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “I know that. Stays, once it develops, for a few years. If necessary, it can help you identify surgeons who do a lot of liposuction.”

Dr. Zacharie: “I have a suggestion there: how about we write a book together, I mean about liposuction.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Then we’ll take as a title: our first 10,000 liters.”

(both laugh)

Dr. Zacharie: “Exactly, and Chapter 1 is Me and the Infiltration Cannula.”

Dr. Papageorgiou: “And chapter 2, where’s the foot switch?”

(both laugh)

Dr. Papageorgiou: “Adrian, thank you for talking to us.”

Dr. Zacharie: “It was good to see you again.”