[Method of surgical treatment of "elephantiasis" of the limb: old philosophy, new approach].

The authors had summarized more than 25-year experience of surgical treatment of patients with the lower and upper extremities lymphedema. The aspiration-resectional-plastic method of treatment of severe forms of the limb lymphedema, which intends in the first stage the resection of fibrously changed tissues, preserving the portion of slightly changed cutaneous-subcutaneous flaps and regions in projection of localization of main lymphatic collectors, under which aspiration lipectomy is performed. Postresectional wound surface is covered with special synthetic tissue. In the next stage, after appearance of granulation tissue, autodermoplasty is performed. Two-staged cutaneous plasty and repeated aspirational lipectomy provides for optimal survival of full thickness cutaneous transplants, reduction of the limb volume, improvement of the lymphatic system draining function.