“An Incredible Surgeon Who Changed My Life

I cannot recommend Dr. Georgiou highly enough. He has been not only an exceptional surgeon, but also a compassionate, empathetic and genuinely caring person who has changed my life in ways I never thought possible.

I have stage 2 lipedema and a rare metabolic disorder. Since I was 12, I have lived with fatigue, low immunity, pain, bruising, swelling in my legs, muscle weakness, aches and pains, and low blood pressure.

As the years went on, I became bedbound in my twenties and spent months at a time in and out of hospital. Throughout my thirties and forties, I was completely exhausted and unable to exercise or walk any significant distance. I felt so low and unwell that I began to believe this was simply something I had to live with.

For years, I told GPs and hospital doctors that it could not be normal to feel as though I had weights attached to my hips and legs. Eventually, even brushing my hair became painful. Touching my skin hurt, and trying to climb the stairs to go to bed at night was extremely difficult and painful. I never gave up, though, and continued to persistently ask everyone in the medical field to help me.

Eventually, I found the Lipedema Ireland Association, which pointed me in the right direction, and I joined a wonderful WhatsApp support group. Several surgeons were highly recommended by women in the group, so I contacted three surgeons, including two in Germany and Dr. Georgiou in Cyprus. I had Zoom consultations with each of them.

The moment I spoke with Dr. Georgiou, I knew, both in my heart and in my head, that he was the surgeon I wanted to trust with my care.

He was so empathetic, gentle, kind and reassuring. More importantly, I immediately felt that he genuinely cared about me as a person and was truly interested in finding a way to help me.

My case was particularly complicated because I have Gitelman syndrome, which means my electrolyte and magnesium levels can drop very quickly. Initially, my medical team was unsure whether any surgeon would be willing to perform lipedema surgery because of the additional risks.

Dr. Georgiou, however, did not simply see a complicated case and turn me away. From the moment we spoke, he began looking into my situation and researching how my surgery could be performed as safely as possible. He reassured me that he believed a plan could be developed.

I will never forget the news that followed: Dr. Georgiou had worked with the nephrology team in Cyprus to develop a detailed plan specifically for me. They spent many hours working together to ensure that my surgery could be carried out as safely as possible, given my medical circumstances.

That gave me an incredible sense of security. I knew I was in the best possible hands.

I was excited beyond words, but I was also extremely nervous. This was the beginning of a journey I had waited years for — a journey in which, finally, someone believed me.

When I had my surgery, Dr. Georgiou was there for me from the beginning right through to my discharge. He continued to support me at my postoperative appointment and contacted me after I returned home to make sure I was doing well. He was always at the end of the phone whenever I needed reassurance or had a question.

He is not only an exceptionally kind, gentle, empathetic and caring surgeon; he is also an absolutely outstanding one. His work is impeccable. He is a perfectionist, and the care and attention he puts into his work are evident in the results.

I have now had two surgeries, with one more still to go, and I am genuinely looking forward to returning to Cyprus because I know I will be in safe hands.

What he has achieved for me feels like the unachievable. After years of being told, directly or indirectly, that there might not be a way forward for me, Dr. Georgiou found one.

I am now 51 years old, and when I look back at my life, it is difficult to believe how far I have come. I spent much of my twenties in and out of hospital and was extremely unwell as a child and teenager. I had very little energy and lived with aches and pains throughout my body for much of my life.

Before surgery, I could barely walk for more than 15 minutes without experiencing excruciating pain in my hips and legs. My whole body could swell severely, and compression did very little to relieve the pain. I had relied on pain medication for many years.

Today, my life is changing.

I can now walk for 30 minutes, an hour and sometimes longer without the pain I once experienced. I need very little pain medication. I have been attending aquarobics, and I have achieved something I never imagined possible: cycling 7 kilometres and swimming 400 metres.

I honestly pinch myself when I look in the mirror. I cannot believe how much better, healthier and younger I feel and look.

My dream has come true.

My journey began with fear, pain and the hope that surgery might simply make my life a little easier. Instead, it has dramatically reduced

My journey began with fear, pain and the hope that surgery might simply make my life a little easier. Instead, it has dramatically reduced my pain and my need for pain medication and, most importantly, given me the opportunity to begin enjoying life and exercise.

Dr. Georgiou has given me hope for the future when I had almost lost it.

I will be forever grateful to him, his team and everyone involved in making my surgeries possible. I cannot recommend Dr. Georgiou highly enough. If you are considering lipedema surgery, especially if you have a complicated medical history, I would wholeheartedly recommend speaking with him.

He listened to me. He believed me. He found a way forward.

And he has helped give me my life back.”

Janet