Liposuction for Advanced Lymphedema in a Multidisciplinary Team Setting in Australia - Five-Year Follow-Up

Background: Liposuction for International Society of Lymphology (ISL) late stage II or III limb lymphedema is an established surgical option to remove excessive adipose tissue deposition and has been performed in Australia since 2012 at the Australian Lymphoedema Education, Research and Treatment (ALERT) Program, Macquarie University.

Patients and methods: Between May 2012 and May 2017, 72 patients with unilateral primary or secondary lymphedema of the arm or leg underwent suction-assisted lipectomy using the Brorson protocol. This prospective study presents 59 of these patients who had consented to research with a five-year follow-up.

Results: Of the 59 patients, 54 (92%) were women, 30 (51%) had leg lymphedema and 29 (49%) had arm lymphedema. For arm patients, the median preoperative volume difference between the lymphedematous and the contralateral arm was 1061 mL, which reduced to 79 mL one year after surgery and to 22 mL five years after surgery. For leg patients, the median preoperative volume difference was 3447 mL, which reduced to 263 mL one year after surgery but increased to 669 mL five years after surgery.

Conclusions: Suction-assisted lipectomy is a long-term option for the management of selected patients with ISL late stage II or III limb lymphedema when conservative management can offer no further improvement.