Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35780215›Full record

ArticleAnnals of surgical oncology2022

Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer Improved Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Secondary Upper Extremity Lymphedema.

Eamon C Francis, Bong-Sung Kim, Miffy Chia-Yu Lin, Ming-Huei Cheng

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In one paragraph

Article in Annals of surgical oncology, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 4 countries.

Eamon C FrancisDivision of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Bong-Sung KimDivision of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Miffy Chia-Yu LinDivision of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
Ming-Huei ChengDivision of Reconstructive Microsurgery, Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan. minghueicheng@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4237-2959
Chang Gung University · TWRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland · IE

Funding

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou CORPG3J0221
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSecondary lymphedema is a debilitating morbidity. This study investigated the outcomes of vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) in elderly patients with secondary upper extremity lymphedema.

methodsBetween 2008 and 2018, elderly (≥65 years) patients with secondary upper extremity lymphedema who underwent VLNT were retrospectively reviewed. Cheng's Lymphedema Grading, Taiwan Lymphoscintigraphy Staging, and indocyanine green lymphography were used to select the procedures. Outcome measurements included complications, circumferential difference, episodes of cellulitis, and the Lymphedema-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (LYMQoL).

resultsEleven patients with a mean age of 70.2 ± 5.3 years (range 65-80 years) who underwent VLNT survived and no major complications were encountered. At a mean follow-up of 6.5 ± 3.6 years (range 2-13 years), the mean limb circumferential difference was significantly improved from 25.6 ± 11.5% to 8.3 ± 4.2% (p = 0.016), and the mean episode of cellulitis was statistically reduced from 2.4 ± 1.3 to 0.4 ± 0.9 times/year (p = 0.007). At a follow-up of 24 months, four domains of Function (from 30.6 ± 2.8 to 14.5 ± 2.5), Appearance (from 18.2 ± 1.9 to 8.5 ± 2.1), Symptoms (from 30.4 ± 5.9 to 10.9 ± 1.0) and Mood (from 29.2 ± 4.4 to 10.7 ± 1.0), as well as overall LYMQoL score (from 3.9 ± 1.1 to 7.4 ± 0.5), showed statistical improvement (all p < 0.05).

conclusionsVLNT for secondary upper extremity lymphedema in elderly patients significantly decreased the limb circumferential difference and frequency of cellulitis and improved quality of life without using compression garments postoperatively.

Indexed as

LymphedemaQuality of LifeAgedAged, 80 and overCellulitisHumansIndocyanine GreenLymph NodesRetrospective StudiesUpper ExtremityIndocyanine Green

Identifiers

PMID35780215
OpenAlexW4283787470

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.