International patients · Düsseldorf, Germany
Lipedema surgery in Düsseldorf for international patients
A practical guide for patients travelling from abroad to Dr. (univ. Te.) Nusret Fetai in Düsseldorf, Germany: travel, length of stay, sessions and trips, follow-up by video, languages, compression garments and flying home.
International patients have lipedema liposuction with Dr. Fetai in Düsseldorf as an outpatient procedure, planned in a video consultation in English and confirmed at an in person examination. Many patients plan about 7 to 10 days per session, because the follow-up on the day after surgery and one week later typically takes place in Düsseldorf; later checks are done by video or at the next session. The practice is a few minutes on foot from Düsseldorf main station and speaks German, English, Albanian, Turkish, Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian. Fitness to fly is decided individually with Dr. Fetai.
Getting to the practice in Düsseldorf
The practice of Dr. (univ. Te.) Nusret Fetai, Body Art Surgery Institute, is at Immermannstraße 10, 2nd floor, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany, a few minutes on foot from Düsseldorf main station (Hauptbahnhof). Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is linked to the main station by train in about 15 minutes, and Düsseldorf is reached by direct train from Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris and by car from the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Definition · Düsseldorf
- Capital of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, on the Rhine, with an international airport (DUS) and a main station on the European high speed rail network. The practice of Dr. Fetai lies in the city centre near the main station.
Lipedema (lipoedema, German: Lipödem) patients come to Düsseldorf from the Benelux countries, Switzerland, Austria, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, the Gulf region, the Balkans and Türkiye. What the treatment involves is described on the page about lipedema surgery in Germany.
How long to stay in Düsseldorf per session
Many international patients plan a stay of about 7 to 10 days per session in Düsseldorf, because the follow-up on the day after surgery and one week later typically takes place in the practice. This is planning guidance, not a rule: the actual plan is agreed individually with Dr. Fetai.
| Day | What happens | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Before travel | Video consultation in English, preliminary cost plan, surgery date | Online |
| Day 1 or 2 | Arrival, in person examination, final plan | Düsseldorf |
| Day 2 or 3 | Outpatient WAL liposuction, discharge with companion | Düsseldorf |
| Day 3 or 4 | First follow-up: dressings, drainage check, compression | Düsseldorf |
| About day 9 or 10 | One week check, decision about travel home | Düsseldorf |
| 4 to 6 weeks, 3 months | Further checks by video or at the next session | Home or Düsseldorf |
How many sessions, and how many trips
The German S2k guideline foresees 1 to 4 liposuction sessions for the legs and 1 to 2 for the arms, and arms and legs are never treated in the same session. For an international patient each session is one trip, with several weeks of healing between sessions; most patients plan two to four trips over one to two years.
Many patients start with the region that troubles them most; some start with the arms because the session is shorter. The price per session, from 4,500 EUR including consultation and all follow-up appointments, is explained on the page about the costs of lipedema surgery in Germany, and the technique on the page about WAL liposuction.
Follow-up from abroad
Follow-up after WAL liposuction with Dr. Fetai takes place the day after surgery, after one week, after 4 to 6 weeks and after 3 months. For international patients the first two checks are in Düsseldorf; the later checks are done by video call with photographs or at the next session, and Dr. Fetai remains reachable by WhatsApp and email.
If something worries you at home, you contact Dr. Fetai directly and, if needed, a physician near you; the practice sends a treatment summary to any physician you name. The German aftercare guide Lipödem-OP Nachsorge describes the recovery week by week.
Languages and communication
Dr. Fetai and his team speak German, English, Albanian, Turkish, Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian. Consultations, cost plans, the written information about risks and all follow-up communication with international patients are in English; patients from Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Türkiye and the countries of former Yugoslavia can speak their own language with Dr. Fetai.
Contact is by email at [email protected], by WhatsApp at +49 152 5927 4323 or via the booking link calendly.com/drfetai-mail. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 9 am to 6 pm and Friday 9 am to 3 pm CET. The German price page is at lipoedemexperte.org/duesseldorf/.
Compression garments and flying home
After WAL liposuction you wear compression garments for about 4 to 6 weeks; a first garment is provided for the day of surgery, and custom made flat knit garments are measured in Düsseldorf or ordered at home on the basis of Dr. Fetai's specification. Whether and when you can fly home is decided individually with Dr. Fetai, typically at the one week check.
Deep dive
Everything international patients need to plan a treatment in Düsseldorf
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How does the first contact and the video consultation work?
From first email to surgery date
The first step is a written enquiry by email, WhatsApp or the Calendly link, followed by a video consultation in English with Dr. Fetai. After the video consultation you receive a preliminary assessment and a preliminary cost plan in writing; the in person examination and the final plan follow in Düsseldorf before surgery.
For the video consultation it helps to prepare a short history: when the changes on your legs or arms began, whether pressure pain and bruising are present, which conservative therapy you have used and for how long, your height and weight, current medication, previous diagnoses and operations. Photographs are useful but not compulsory; if you send them, standing front, side and back views in underwear in even daylight are enough. All data are handled under European data protection law and are not used for advertising.
In the video call Dr. Fetai asks about your history, looks at the photographs with you and explains whether a lipedema is likely, whether surgery is a sensible option and what a treatment plan could look like. He also says plainly when surgery is not advisable, for example when the diagnosis is unclear or when obesity is the main problem; in that case you receive advice on what to clarify at home first. If surgery is a sensible option, the practice proposes a date, and you plan your trip around the appointments.
Nothing is booked before you have seen the cost plan in writing. The treatment contract and the written information about risks are signed at the in person appointment in Düsseldorf with time to consider them. Who Dr. Fetai is and how he works is described in his physician profile.
What is the best way to travel to Düsseldorf, and where should I stay?
Airport, train, car and accommodation
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is the most convenient arrival point: it is about 15 minutes from the main station by S-Bahn or regional train, and taxis take about the same time to the practice. Patients from the Netherlands, Belgium and France often come by direct train to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof; patients from the Benelux countries and western Germany often come by car.
Düsseldorf Airport has direct flights to many European cities and, depending on airline and season, to Istanbul, Dubai, Tirana, Pristina and Skopje. Patients from the United States and Ireland usually connect through Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London or Istanbul; Frankfurt Airport is about 90 minutes from Düsseldorf by high speed train, and Cologne Bonn Airport about one hour by train. Booking flexible or changeable tickets is advisable for the return, because the travel date is confirmed at the one week check.
For accommodation, choose a hotel or apartment within walking distance of the practice, in the area around the main station and Immermannstraße, so that the follow-up appointments are a short walk and you do not depend on transport in the first days. The Japanese quarter around Immermannstraße has cafés and restaurants at every price level, and the old town and the Rhine promenade are within walking distance for gentle walks during recovery. Apartments with a kitchen are practical for stays of 7 to 10 days, especially if a companion is with you.
Parking in the city centre is limited and paid; if you come by car, choose accommodation with parking and walk to the practice. If you need help with practical questions, the team answers them in English, and patients from the Balkans and Türkiye can ask in their own language.
Do I need a companion, and what should the days around surgery look like?
Companion, surgery day and the first days
A companion is necessary for the day of surgery and strongly recommended for the day after. After sedation or general anaesthesia you must not travel alone, and in the first 24 hours help with the compression garment, the dressings, meals and simply getting up makes the recovery considerably easier.
On the day of surgery you come to the practice in the morning and leave in the afternoon or early evening in the company of your companion. Tumescent fluid drains from the small incisions for about 24 to 48 hours; absorbent dressings and dark towels on the bed and seats are practical. Light walking from the first evening supports lymphatic flow. Pain is usually manageable with the medication prescribed by Dr. Fetai; the areas feel bruised and tight, although this varies between patients.
The first follow-up takes place the next morning: dressings are changed, the drainage is checked and the compression garment is adjusted. From the second or third day most patients walk outside for short distances, shower according to the instructions given and manage without a companion, although company remains pleasant and practical. Between the first follow-up and the one week check, the days are quiet: rest, short walks, compression, and no sport, sauna or hot baths.
At the one week check Dr. Fetai examines the treated areas, removes any remaining stitches, adjusts the compression plan and decides with you about the journey home. If everything is in order, you travel; if he prefers to see you again, you stay a little longer, which is why flexible tickets matter. A German description of the surgical day is available at Ablauf der Lipödem-OP.
What should I know about flying after lipedema liposuction?
Flying home: general guidance, confirmed individually
The decision about when you can fly is made individually by Dr. Fetai and depends on the extent of the procedure, your recovery at the one week check and your personal risk factors such as previous thromboses, hormonal contraception, smoking or the length of the flight. This page gives general guidance only, and no fixed number of days is stated because there is none that fits every patient.
The medical concern behind the question is thrombosis: after any surgery the risk of a blood clot in the leg veins is temporarily increased, and long immobility in an aircraft seat adds to it. Liposuction of the legs adds swelling and compression, which is why the treating physician wants to see you before you travel. General measures that apply to any traveller after surgery are: wear your compression garment during the journey, walk in the aisle regularly, do calf exercises in your seat, drink water, avoid alcohol and sleeping tablets, and choose an aisle seat. Whether an additional medication for thrombosis prevention is advisable for your journey is decided by Dr. Fetai and stated in your discharge letter.
Patients travelling short distances, for example from the Netherlands, Belgium or the United Kingdom, usually have more flexibility than patients facing a long haul flight to the United States or the Gulf region; for long flights Dr. Fetai may advise a longer stay or a stopover. Train journeys allow more movement than flights.
Take your discharge letter, the medication list and the specification of your compression garment with you, in English, so that a physician at home has the necessary information. If you have a known clotting disorder or a history of thrombosis, mention it in the video consultation; it may change the planning, but it does not necessarily rule out surgery.
How does the recovery continue at home, and when is the next session?
Recovery at home and planning the next trip
At home you continue to wear the compression garment for about 4 to 6 weeks in total, increase your activity step by step, and have your 4 to 6 week and 3 month checks by video call with photographs or in person at the next session. Sick leave is typically 1 to 2 weeks depending on the physical demands of your work, and the final result is realistically visible after 3 to 6 months.
Swelling decreases over weeks, not days; the treated areas may feel firm or numb for a while and then soften. Manual lymphatic drainage with a therapist at home can support this and is optional. Sport is usually resumed after the compression phase, starting with walking, cycling and swimming once the incisions have healed. If you notice increasing redness, warmth, fever or unexpected pain, contact Dr. Fetai directly by WhatsApp or email and, if necessary, a physician near you; the practice sends a treatment summary to any physician you name.
The next session is planned when the previous area has healed, usually after several weeks to a few months. Many international patients plan one session per trip and spread the treatment over one to two years, which fits the medical logic of the guideline and spreads the cost. The 3 month check of one area can often be combined with the examination for the next session, saving a trip.
Between sessions and after the treatment, lipedema remains a chronic disease: compression, movement and weight stability remain important, and Dr. Fetai discusses with you at each check what is medically sensible in your case and what can be left out.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ: travelling to Düsseldorf for lipedema surgery
How do I get to the practice of Dr. Fetai in Düsseldorf?
The practice is at Immermannstraße 10, 40210 Düsseldorf, a few minutes on foot from Düsseldorf main station. Düsseldorf Airport (DUS) is connected to the main station by train in about 15 minutes.
How long should I stay in Düsseldorf for one session?
Many international patients plan about 7 to 10 days per session, because the follow-up the day after surgery and one week later typically takes place in Düsseldorf. This is planning guidance, agreed individually.
How many trips will I need?
One trip per session. The German guideline foresees 1 to 4 sessions for the legs and 1 to 2 for the arms, so most patients plan two to four trips over one to two years.
When can I fly home after lipedema liposuction?
This is decided individually with Dr. Fetai at the one week check, depending on the extent of the procedure, your recovery and your risk factors. Book flexible return flights, move regularly and wear compression when travelling.
How is the follow-up handled after I return home?
The checks after 4 to 6 weeks and after 3 months can be done by video call with photographs, or in person at the next session. Dr. Fetai remains reachable by WhatsApp and email.
Which languages does the practice speak?
German, English, Albanian, Turkish, Macedonian and Serbo-Croatian. Consultations, cost plans and written information for international patients are in English.
Do I need a companion?
Yes, for the day of surgery and preferably the day after. After sedation or general anaesthesia you must not travel alone.
Where do I get compression garments?
A first garment is provided for the day of surgery. Custom made flat knit garments can be measured in Düsseldorf or obtained at home; Dr. Fetai writes the specification.
Can the consultation be done online?
Yes. The first consultation for international patients is a video call in English; the in person examination follows in Düsseldorf before surgery.
Where should I stay in Düsseldorf?
Close to the practice, around the main station and Immermannstraße, so that follow-up appointments are a short walk. Accommodation in every price category is available there.
Sources and references
- S2k guideline Lipedema (S2k-Leitlinie Lipödem), AWMF register number 037-012, version 5.0, 2024. https://register.awmf.org/de/leitlinien/detail/037-012
- Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (G-BA, Federal Joint Committee): decision on liposuction for lipedema of 17 July 2025, in force since 9 October 2025. https://www.g-ba.de/
- G-BA: quality assurance directive on liposuction for lipedema (QS-RL). https://www.g-ba.de/
- LiPLEG trial under section 137e of the German Social Code Book V, ZKS University of Cologne with Klinikum Darmstadt, N = 410. https://www.g-ba.de/
- Kassenärztliche Bundesvereinigung (KBV): EBM codes 31095 and 31096, valid since 1 July 2026. https://www.kbv.de/
- Human Med AG: water-jet assisted liposuction technology (Body-Jet). https://www.humanmed.com/
- Herbst KL et al.: Standard of care for lipedema in the United States. Phlebology, 2021.
At a glance · Key facts
- Address
- Immermannstraße 10, 2nd floor, 40210 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Getting there
- DUS airport to main station about 15 minutes; practice a short walk from the station
- Stay per session
- About 7 to 10 days (planning guidance), agreed individually
- Follow-up
- Day after and one week in Düsseldorf; later checks by video or at the next session
- Languages
- German, English, Albanian, Turkish, Macedonian, Serbo-Croatian
- Flying home
- Decided individually; flexible tickets recommended
- Contact
- Calendly, WhatsApp +49 152 5927 4323, [email protected]
Author: Dr. (univ. Te.) Nusret Fetai, private practice for aesthetic surgery, DüsseldorfLast medically reviewed: Fact base: S2k guideline 2024, G-BA decision 2025, EBM since July 2026
The next step
Plan your treatment with a video consultation.
Send a short history and photographs, and Dr. Fetai will assess in English whether surgery is a sensible option.
Deutschsprachige Patientinnen finden die vollständige deutsche Version unter lipoedemexperte.org.