A prospective analysis of the results of 12 patients who underwent liposuction followed by compression therapy for chronic unilateral upper limb oedema with up to five years of follow-up was carried out. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score questionnaires and a Visual Analogue Score for overall well-being were also completed pre- and post-operatively.
The mean duration of lymphoedema was seven years (range, 1-14), commencing at a mean of one year (range, 0-5) after axillary surgery. The mean excess arm volume at admission was 1391聽ml and the ratio of the lymphoedematous to the unaffected arm was 1路48. The mean total aspirate volume was 1713聽ml, of which 87 percent was fat. At one year the mean percentage volume reduction compared with the normal arm was 101 percent, meaning that the volume of both of patients鈥?arms was virtually equivalent, and this reduction was stable with up to 5 years of follow-up. Postoperatively there were reductions in anxiety (p聽<聽0.05) and depression scores, and an improvement in overall well-being.
Our first five years of experience of liposuction combined with application of compression garments has demonstrated significant, reproducible, and stable reduction of upper limb oedema with improvement of overall well-being and reduction in measurable anxiety and depression.