10 years of experience with autogenous microsurgical lymphvessel-transplantation Medizin - Open Access LMU - Teil 08/22

The authors report their experience with the autogenous microsurgical
lymphvessel transplantation for the treatment of upper
(n = 60, 55 females and 5 males) and lower (n = 35, 10 females
and 25 males, primary lyphredemas = 11, secondary lymphredemas
= 24) limb edemas.
Regarding the volume measurements before and after lymphvessel
- transplantation in 58 patients there was a reduction of
volume differences between healthy and affected arms of more
than the half in 76 % of the patients after a mean follow-up
period of 2 1/2 years.
In 28 patients with unilateral redemas of the lower extremities
the volume reduction after a mean follow-up period of I 1/2
year compared to the healthy legs was more than 50 % in
20 patients.
As complications in the early period 2 postoperative erysipelas
were seen. One patient developed a Iymph cyst in the groin and
one patient had a postthrombotic lower leg rederna.
The authors conclude that lymphvessel transplantations therefore
seem to be a method to enhance significantly the lymphatic
transport if by conservation me ans alone no long term success
is seen.