This is a list of the questions that were optional for surgeons to answer in addition to submitting their postoperative protocols.

What is your patient selection criteria for lipedema liposuction surgery (BMI, failure of conservative treatment, imaging)?

Do you require pre surgical measurements for patients that are seeking insurance coverage (objective measures done by therapist on lipedema limiting functional impact; and subjective questionnaires on functional impact assessment)?

Do you write letters of medical necessity for your patients pre-surgery?  If so, what is most important or the main highlights to cover?

When should a patient first see a therapist preoperatively? - why is this ideal?

What are the goals of preoperative visits? Why?

How are progress toward these goals communicated by the therapist back to the surgical team?

What are the goals of postoperative visits? Why is this ideal?

How are progress toward these goals communicated by the therapist back to the surgical team? 

What outcome measures are used? Why are they the most useful?

What is something you wish the therapist knew about your surgical practice and their role in the patient’s recovery? 

What surgical or therapeutic alternatives have you considered and why did you find them less useful for your patients? (For instance, some surgeons close incisions and others leave them open)

Is there any research that has contributed to your decision making in preoperative and postoperative therapy protocols? 

Do you have any publicly available videos of surgery or postoperative instructions to share?