New Treatment Technique

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Morwenna
Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
edited June 2014 in Lymphedema

I thought the following might be if interest if it hasn't already hit this forum. I read it on the UK breastcancercare.org site.





http://www.ouh.nhs.uk/services/departments/lymphoedema/default.aspx



It is a new procedure being carried out in Oxford, England and involves "supermicrosurgery".



Due to the specialized natture of this surgery, I'm not sure how widely available it might become, nor what the criteria would be, but it is exciting to see some attempts at treatment of this condition as opposed to management and "learning to live with it"!

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  • vlnrph
    vlnrph Member Posts: 1,632
    edited August 2013

    I wonder what their description of "extremely good results" means and who they accepted as candidates.

    The NLN journal Lymphlink had a review of surgical techniques for LE management in last year's spring issue (authors Cormier, Cromwell & Armer vol 24; no. 2, 2012). They found 8 studies with a total of just over 2000 patients undergoing the anastomosis/reconstruction procedures with overall weighted volume reduction of 55%.

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  • Morwenna
    Morwenna Member Posts: 1,063
    edited August 2013

    I haven't yet looked for other papers from Japan and Italy, but the UK site says



    "Studies from Japan and Italy show that this technique is effective for the treatment of both early and more advanced lymphoedema, and also in the prevention of lymphoedema in women undergoing treatment for breast cancer"



    I wonder how they selected women for "preventive" surgery??? Since there is no way of predicting for sure exactly who will develop lymphedema anyway ....

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