The Concept of Palliative Lymphaticovenular Anastomosis.

Lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) is the first-line surgical treatment for lymphedema. The therapeutic effects of LVA, including edema reduction and cellulitis prevention, vary among patients. We examined cases of palliative LVA in patients with lymphedema who were in the terminal stage due to recurrence or distant metastasis of the primary disease, with a focus on the course and usefulness of palliative LVA.

Efficacy of Lymphaticovenular Anastomosis for Secondary Upper Extremity Lymphedema: Treatment Strategies with Effects of Compression Therapy Discontinuation and Site-Specific Evaluation of the Upper Extremity.

Lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA) has recently become a mainstream surgical treatment for lymphedema and is a useful treatment option in addition to conservative therapies such as compression therapy, exercise therapy, and lymphatic drainage. We performed LVA with the goal of stopping compression therapy and report the effect of LVA on secondary lymphedema of the upper extremities. The participants were 20 patients with secondary lymphedema of the upper extremities categorized as stage 2 or 3 according to the International Society of Lymphology classification.

Combined Volume Reduction Surgery and Lymphaticovenular Anastomosis for Treatment of Lower Leg Lymphedema.

Much has been reported in the past regarding obesity as a risk factor for the origin of lymphedema. There are also reports of surgical treatments for obesity-related lymphedema. We have previously reported on the effectiveness of lymphaticovenular anastomosis in reducing chronic inflammation, and we believe that lymphaticovenular anastomosis is a very useful surgical approach in patients with recurrent cellulitis.

Super-microsurgery technique for lymphaticovenular anastomosis.

Background: In super-microsurgery, such as lymphaticovenular anastomosis (LVA), the diameter of the target vessel can be small and difficult to manage, and the basic surgical technique of microsurgery, such as inserting a forceps into the lumen and applying countertraction, can be difficult. In addition, it can be difficult to confirm the success or failure of the postoperative anastomosis, unlike with normal free-flap transfer, or to learn the technique by reviewing the results.

Methods: We have described a safe, quick, and accurate technique for LVA based on our experience performing several hundred such cases at our institution.