Efficacy of Lymphaticovenular Anastomosis of the Leg Combined with Postoperative Treatment in Reducing Lymphedema during the First Year Following Surgery

<p>  ［Background］We examined the efficacy of lower limb lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) combined with postoperative reduction treatment (PORT) in reducing lymphedema during the first postoperative year.　<BR>  ［Methods］Female patients with unilateral leg lymphedema who had undergone leg LVA with 7 days of PORT were included. Patients were selected for whom body water volume data were available at six points in time: preoperatively; at discharge; and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Patients were divided into two groups according to the change in postoperative water volume reduction in the affected leg: those with maintenance of body water volume below the preoperative level, termed as “maximum efficacy”, and those without.　<BR>  ［Results］Of the 28 eligible cases, 14 demonstrated maximum efficacy with LVA. The first peak of water volume reduction in cases with maximum efficacy was at the time of discharge, with a transient regression observed following discharge. Thereafter, the water volume decreased, reapproaching the discharge value. Greater preoperative leg water volume was a common factor for cases with maximum efficacy (odds ratio: 3.351, 95% confidence interval: 1.215-9.240, p = 0.019) .　<BR>  ［Conclusion］The leg water volume of LVA cases with maximum efficacy increased after discharge but returned to discharge values over the first postoperative year.</p>