ArticleJournal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders2024
Analysis of different outcome parameters and quality of life after different techniques of free vascularized lymph node transfer.
Article in Journal of vascular surgery. Venous and lymphatic disorders, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- One Surgery, Two Solutions: A Systematic Review of Combined Autologous Breast Reconstruction and Lymphatic Surgery.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026Pooled it
- Cell-Free Adipose Liquid Extract Combined with Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer for Treating Lymphedema: Implications for Human Therapy.Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · 2026Article
- A Practical Algorithm for Donor- and Recipient-site Selection in Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer in Extremity Lymphedema.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- [Advances in intra-abdominal vascularized lymph node transfer for treatment of limb lymphedema].Zhongguo xiu fu chong jian wai ke za zhi = Zhongguo xiufu chongjian waike zazhi = Chinese journal of reparative and reconstructive surgery · 2026Review
- Surgical Treatment of Lymphedema at LE&RN Comprehensive Centers of Excellence.Journal of reconstructive microsurgery · 2026Article
- Anatomic insights into the vascularized supraclavicular lymph node flap and a novel design for enhanced lymphedema surgery.Scientific reports · 2025Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveVascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) has become an important surgical technique in the treatment of lymphedema. Considering the different available regions available for flap harvest, we aimed to analyze different donor sites for VLNT with respect to donor site morbidity, impact on limb volume, and patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs).
methodsA single-center prospective study of all patients undergoing VLNT at the Department of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery of the University Hospital Zurich between September 2016 and 2023 was conducted. Lymph nodes were harvested either from the omentum (gastroepiploic [GE]-VLNT), the lateral thoracic wall (LTW), or the superficial inguinal region (SI-VLNT). Volume measurements and PROMs were assessed preoperatively and at different postoperative intervals.
resultsOverall, 70 patients with upper limb lymphedema (21%) or lower limb lymphedema (79%) with different lymphedema stages were included. There were 49 patients who underwent GE-VLNT, followed by LTW-VLNT (n = 16) and SI-VLNT (n = 5). Lymph node harvest from the SI was associated with a significantly higher frequency of seroma development. The average percentage volume loss related in comparison to the preoperative volume of the affected limb was 9% after GE-VLNT, 10% after LTW-VLNT, and 5% after SI-VLNT without a significant difference between the groups. PROMs revealed significant improvements for physical functioning, symptoms and psychological well-being, with no differences between the VLNT techniques.
conclusionsVLNT leads to a significant improvement of quality of life and can decrease limb volume effectively, regardless of the selection of donor site. GE-VLNT has become our flap of choice owing to its low donor site morbidity and its properties that allow a double transplantation while avoiding a second donor site.
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