September 10th • pre-conference
Doctor is in - Lipedema Clinic
The Doctor is in – Lipedema Clinic is a first-of-its-kind teaching clinic that brings the world’s leading lipedema experts to Canada to train our physicians and nurse practitioners, while offering Canadians a formal lipedema assessment at no cost. Building the future of lipedema care in Canada starts HERE!
Addressing the need for lipedema clinical education and patient access though innovation!
The "Doctor Is In" clinic pairs our team of lipedema expert faculty educators with learner Canadian physicians and nurse practitioners to assess real patients, side by side. This mentorship model lets clinicians sharpen their practical skills in assessment and diagnosis while opening immediate, life-changing access to care for patients who have waited far too long for answers.
Lipedema is recognized by the World Health Organization, yet it is not taught in Canadian medical schools, and there is no integrated diagnostic pathway for it in any province. The result is a serious shortage of knowledgeable practitioners and a patient community left without access to assessment or diagnosis.
The Doctor Is In clinic is our direct response. We are bringing the global lipedema community to Canada in a way that leaves patients better served and clinicians better informed, so that knowledge stays here and continues to be shared across the country.
CME Accredited Learning for Physicians
This event was co-developed with the CPD Medicine Program at the University of Manitoba and was designed to ensure scientific integrity, objectivity, and balance.This one-credit-per-hour Certified Assessment Activity meets the certification criteria of the College of Family Physicians of Canada and has been certified by the CPD Medicine Program, University of Manitoba for up to 4.5 Mainpro+ Certified Assessment Activity credits.
How the Clinic Works:
The Four-Eyes Principle
Every assessment in the Doctor Is In clinic follows the four-eyes principle. This means each patient is assessed and diagnosed by two fully independent physicians, working from the same standardized method.
The approach ensures that every patient receives a rigorous, consistent assessment, and that every clinician learns a method they can carry back into their own practice.
For Patients:
A Free Lipedema Assessment
Fifty eight (58) appointment spaces for patients wishing to be assessed for lipedema opened on June 20th, and filled within 2 hours. Further demonstrating the need for this type of access and clinical training.
Join the waiting list below.
You must be registered to attend the Lipedema Canada Conference in-person to be eligible to participate. Proof of registration is required for bookings to be confirmed.
For Clinicians:
Learn From the World's Lipedema Experts
Twenty-four spaces are available for physicians and nurse practitioners to take part as learners, mentored directly by our expert lipedema faculty. You will assess real patients alongside the people who have shaped international lipedema practice, and leave with the knowledge and confidence to assess and diagnose lipedema in your own setting.
Clinician learner registration is open now.
What This Means for Canada
This is the first time the global lipedema community has gathered in Canada in this way. For patients, it means a formal assessment that may otherwise be out of reach. For clinicians, it means hands-on training in a condition that affects a significant portion of the population yet remains absent from medical education here. For the country, it means a lasting foundation of expertise that does not leave when the conference ends.
Our Faculty Educators
PD. Dr. med. Mojitoba Ghods
Professor, Scientific co-chair LipCanCon, President of Lipedema World Alliance
Head of the Department of Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Microsurgery and Hand Surgery at the Ernst von Bergmann Hospital
–Potsdam and Bad Belzig, Germany
Dr. Kaitlin Cyr
MD, CCFP
Medical Director at Lipedema Canada, Family Medicine specializing in obesity and lipedema.
– Manitoba, Canada
Dr. Iakovos Georgiou
Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgeon; Director of Plastic Surgery at the German Medical Institute –
Limassol, Cyprus
Dr. Ana Carolina de Nadai
Board-certified plastic surgeon and Lipedema specialist recognized for her clinical research and surgical expertise in upper-limb lipedema treatment.
–São Paulo, Brazil
Dr. Apostolos Siafliakis
Director of the Department of plastic and reconstructive Surgery, Lipedema and postbariatric surgery at the Europeran Interbalcan Hospital, & Director and chief surgeon of the international lipedema surgical center
–Thessaloniki, Greece
Dr. Delphine Boury
BA (Hons) MA MBBS CCFP
Director of Clinical Education, Medical Director Co-Chair at Lipedema Canada. Specialized in Omnipraticienne/Family Medicine, Venous and lymphatic medicine, Phlébologie et médecine lymphatique
– Québec, Canada
Dr. Giw Mostofizadeh-Haghighi
Chief Plastic Surgery Resident and mentee of Dr. Ghods. His clinical focus includes reconstructive microsurgery, lymphatic surgery, and the surgical treatment of lipedema.
–Potsdam Germany
Dr. Archana Vijay
MD, FRCPC, ABOM
Dr. Archana Vijay is an experienced internist and an accredited member of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. She is also a Diplomate of the American Boards of Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine.
- Alberta, Canada
Dr. Thomas Wright
MD, FACP, FAVLS, RVT
Venous and Lymphatic Medicine Specialist
– Missouri, USA
Dr. medic Adrian Zaharie
Senior Physician
Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery
- Berlin, Germany
Dr. Amier Sweis
Resident Doctor
Plastic, Aesthetic and Reconstructive Surgery - Dr. Ghods Team - Klinikum Ernst von Bergmann
– Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
Dr. med. Brigitte Habermalz
Specialist in Surgery, Lipedema Surgery, Lymphology at LipoClinic
– Germany
Lipedema Assessment Waiting List
All 58 patient assessment appointments are now fully booked. If there is a cancellation, you can join our waiting list.
Join the Waiting List
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to book an appointment?
No. The lipedema assessment is free, and conditions apply. You must be registered for the conference at the time you book your appointment, and you must hold a confirmed appointment in order to attend.
Do I need to be registered for the conference in order to attend?
Yes.
When you submit a booking request, the Lipedema Canada team will verify that you are registered to attend in-person in our records before confirming your appointment. If you are not registered, or if your name is spelled differently than it appears on our registration, your appointment will be declined. Because demand for these appointments is very high, it is unlikely you will be able to book another if your first request is declined.
Please follow these instructions carefully so that nothing stands between you and your appointment.
When do appointments become available?
On June 20th at 8am CDT appointments will open for all registered delegates.
Those that purchased VIP tickets will have early access to appointments. Email notices have been sent out to our VIP's.
I have already been diagnosed with lipedema. Can I still book an appointment?
Yes. We will not refuse anyone. That said, bookings are very limited, and we ask you to consider leaving a space for someone who has not yet been diagnosed and may have no other route to a diagnosis. The decision rests with you.
If I am determined to have lipedema, will I receive a formal letter of diagnosis?
Yes. If you are assessed and determined to have lipedema by the team of doctors, you will receive a formal letter of diagnosis, as well as a general letter to take to your healthcare provider at home.
Can I choose which doctor or doctors assess me?
No. The team assigned to your bay at your appointment time will perform your assessment. We understand many people have a preferred expert they hope to meet, and you will have the chance to meet all of our visiting doctors throughout the conference. We are not able to accommodate bookings for specific doctors at this time.
Can I book more than one appointment for friends or family coming with me?
No. Each appointment must be booked by the individual who holds the conference registration. If multiple bookings are made under the same name, they will be declined.
What do I need to bring with me to my appointment?
Your confirmation email will include your patient intake questionnaire. You must complete this document and bring it with you to the clinic on paper. You will hand it to the triage nurse when you check in, and the doctors will use it during your assessment. It will be returned to you afterward. Lipedema Canada does not maintain patient records or hold patient data.
I was not able to get an appointment. Is there a waitlist for cancellations?
Yes. You can add your name to the cancellation waitlist using the form above. Spaces are released on a first-come, first-served basis as cancellations become available, and the next person on the list is emailed the opportunity to take the appointment.
My plans have changed and I need to cancel. What do I do?
Once you hold a confirmed booking, a cancellation link is included in your confirmation email. If you need to cancel, please do so promptly so that we can open your space to someone on our waitlist.