Premium
Microsurgery for treatment of peripheral lymphedema: Long‐term outcome and future perspectives
Author(s) -
Campisi Corradino,
Eretta Costantino,
Pertile Davide,
Da Rin Elisa,
Campisi Corrado,
Macciò Alberto,
Campisi Mirko,
Accogli Susanna,
Bellini Carlo,
Bonioli Eugenio,
Boccardo Francesco
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
microsurgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.031
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1098-2752
pISSN - 0738-1085
DOI - 10.1002/micr.20346
Subject(s) - medicine , microsurgery , lymphedema , lymphatic system , surgery , anastomosis , peripheral , cancer , pathology , breast cancer
Abstract Authors report over 30 years of their own clinical experience in the treatment of chronic peripheral lymphedemas by microsurgical techniques performed at the Center of Lymphatic Surgery of the University of Genoa, Italy. Over 1,500 lymphedema patients were treated with microsurgical techniques. Derivative lymphatic‐venous techniques were most often used. For those cases where a venous disease was associated to lymphedema, reconstructive lymphatic microsurgery techniques were performed (lymphatic‐venous–lymphatic‐plasty). Objective assessment was undertaken by water volumetry and lymphoscintigraphy. Volume changes showed a significant improvement in over 83%, with an average follow‐up of more than 10 years. There was an 87% reduction in the incidence of cellulitic attacks after microsurgery. Microsurgical lymphatic‐venous anastomoses have a place in the treatment of peripheral lymphedema and should be the therapy of choice in patients who are not sufficiently responsive to nonoperative treatment. Improved results can be expected with operations performed at earlier lymphedema stages. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. Microsurgery 2007.