The Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Service of São João, in Porto, has carried out an “innovative treatment in Portugal” to treat lymphedema in the arm of a woman who “suffered severe motor limitations” due to the condition, it was announced today.
In a statement, the São João Local Health Unit explains that lymphoedema is a “condition in which lymphatic fluid accumulates in the soft tissues of the skin, causing swelling” and that “this happens when there is an imbalance between the amount of fluid produced and the capacity of the lymphatic system to transport it”.
According to the text, lymphedema can be congenital, present from birth, or acquired after cancer, radiotherapy, trauma or infections.
The 71-year-old woman in question “had previously tried other treatments, such as a postural drainage plan and the use of an elastic sleeve, but still suffered from severe motor limitations and multiple episodes of infection/cellulitis every year”.
In this procedure, Hospital de S. João points out, a device made of collagen, a natural protein in the body, was implanted under the skin using a minimally invasive technique.
“This device, which has emerged as an innovative therapeutic solution in the treatment of lymphedema, was connected to the lymph nodes above the collarbone on the same side as the affected arm. Not only will it help to drain the accumulated fluid, but it will also promote the natural regeneration of the lymphatic system,” we read.
Over time, the text explains, this “device will help create new healthy lymphatic vessels”, and “can be used alone or in conjunction with other surgical treatments, such as lymph node transfer, connections between lymphatic vessels and veins, or liposuction, in order to improve the results and reduce swelling in the affected arm”.
In 2017, the press release points out, the first microvascularized ganglion transfer from the neck to the hand was performed at Hospital Universitário de São João, and since then other innovative surgical procedures have followed, such as breast reconstruction simultaneously with ganglion tissue flap transfer, stomach ganglion transfer and connections between lymphatic vessels and veins.
