Relief for woman with elephantiasis after breast cancer surgery

GĐXH – According to doctors, after mastectomy, lymph node dissection and radiotherapy, many patients face the sequelae of arm lymphedema. This is a complication that causes many difficulties in daily life and affects the patient's quality of life.

On January 6, information from Viet Duc Friendship Hospital said that recently, doctors at this unit successfully performed surgery on a patient with lymphedema of the hand after mastectomy.

Accordingly, after mastectomy, lymph node dissection due to cancer and post-operative radiotherapy, Ms. NTKO (64 years old) had many difficulties in daily activities due to her arm being swollen, heavy and often painful.

Although the cancer did not recur, the lymphedema caused the patient's arm to frequently suffer from cellulitis, requiring treatment several times a year.

The patient's arm condition before and after surgery. Photo: BVCC.

Visiting Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, Ms. O was diagnosed with lymphedema of the hand after mastectomy and was given surgical treatment by free lymph node flap transfer using super microsurgery technique.

The surgery was successful. After 1 week of treatment, the patient could see positive changes on his arm.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, Head of the Department of Maxillofacial - Plastic - Cosmetic Surgery, Viet Duc Friendship Hospital said: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. After mastectomy, lymph node dissection and radiotherapy, many patients face the sequelae of arm lymphedema.

This is a complication that causes many difficulties in daily life and affects the quality of life of the patient. Patients often have to seek treatment in many places but all are ineffective and the disease will progress more and more seriously.

According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha, the reason the arm is swollen is because normally the lymph is drained from the periphery to the body through the lymphatic and axillary lymphatic system. During the surgical and radiotherapy treatment of breast cancer, the lymphatic and lymphatic systems will be removed or destroyed to reduce the risk of cancer cells spreading.

Therefore, even though breast cancer is treated and stabilized, the patient's arm may still gradually swell, a phenomenon called lymphedema due to obstructed circulation.

Doctor examines patient. Photo: BVCC.

According to doctors at Viet Duc Friendship Hospital, the principle of lymph node transfer microsurgery is to take a lymph node flap from another normal part of the body (in locations such as the groin, axilla on the healthy side, supraclavicular fossa, etc.) to transfer to the lymphedema arm. The lymph node flap is sutured to the tiny blood vessels at the recipient site using microsurgery techniques.

If the lymph node flap is viable, it will help drain the lymph, reduce swelling and improve the motor function of the arm. At the same time, liposuction will help slim the arm, bringing aesthetics to the patient.

Dr. Tran Thi Thanh Huyen - a member of the surgical team, said that the biggest difficulty here is that very few centers in the world can perform this technique because the blood vessels that feed the lymph nodes are super small vessels with a diameter of only 0.2 - 0.4mm (approximately 1/3, 1/4 of a toothpick), so it requires experienced microsurgeons and modern equipment such as microscopes, tools, and super microsurgical threads (sometimes only 1/5 - 1/10 of a hair).

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Hong Ha added that in addition to microsurgical lymph node transfer to treat lymphedema of the hands and feet, surgeons can also reconstruct breasts removed due to cancer with microsurgical rectus abdominis muscle flap (DIEP flap), latissimus dorsi muscle flap or simply by placing breast implants.

The successful combination of these two cutting-edge techniques allows patients to both treat lymphedema and restore balance to the breasts, providing optimal functional and aesthetic results with minimal intervention for the patient.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/giai-phong-cho-nguoi-phu-nu-bi-phu-tay-voi-sau-phau-thuat-ung-thu-vu-172250106101411339.htm