Clinical Research Directory

Use of Reconstructive Microsurgery for the Treatment of Lymphedema

Sponsor: Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli

Summary

Lymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by the accumulation of lymphatic fluid in tissues, frequently resulting from oncological treatments, trauma, or cancer. This condition causes significant functional impairment and severely impacts patients' quality of life, requiring complex and multidisciplinary therapeutic approaches. In recent years, reconstructive microsurgery has played an increasingly important role in lymphedema treatment due to high-precision technologies. The use of ultra-high magnification operating microscopes allows the visualization of sub-millimetric vascular structures, enabling lymphatic-venous anastomoses and lymph node transfers on extremely small vessels (0.3-0.5 mm). Additionally, advanced intraoperative imaging, such as indocyanine green fluorescence, allows real-time identification of lymphatic vessels and patency assessment, improving surgical accuracy and clinical outcomes. While recent experience shows high procedural success rates, a retrospective and systematic analysis of clinical data is necessary to structuredly evaluate functional outcomes. Therefore, this retrospective study aims to analyze the clinical experience gained to define the role of advanced microsurgical technologies in optimizing the therapeutic pathway for patients with lymphedema

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