Open AccessLymphedema: Conventional to Cutting Edge Treatment
Author(s) -
Duane Wang,
Daniel Lyons,
Roman J. Skoracki
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
seminars in interventional radiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.35
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1098-8963
pISSN - 0739-9529
DOI - 10.1055/s-0040-1713447
Subject(s) - medicine , liposuction , lymphedema , surgery , radiation therapy , anastomosis , reduction (mathematics) , cancer , suction , breast cancer , mechanical engineering , geometry , mathematics , engineering
Lymphedema of the extremities related to oncologic therapies such as cancer surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy is a major long-term cause of morbidity for cancer patients. Both nonsurgical and surgical management strategies have been developed. The goals of these therapies are to achieve volume reduction of the affected extremity, a reduction in patient symptoms, and a reduction in associated morbidities such as recurrent soft-tissue infections. In this article, we review both nonsurgical and surgical management strategies. Traditional surgical therapy has focused on more ablative techniques such as the Charles procedure and suction-assisted lipectomy/liposuction. However, newer more physiologic surgical methods such as lymphovenous anastomoses and vascularized lymph node transfers have become a more common treatment modality for the management of this complex problem.