Development of functionally patent lymphatic meshes in postsurgical long-term resolution of peripheral secondary lymphedema

Abstract

Objective: In oncologic surgery, secondary lymphedema of male external genital organs and upper or lower limbs frequently develops as a result of excision or mechanical obstruction of collecting lymphatic trunks. We evaluated whether the short-term and long-term outcomes of microsurgical treatment of limb and genital organs improves tissue drainage in patients with secondary lymphedema by restoring the pre-existing lymphatic networks or through new lymphangiogenesis.

Methods: Of 110 secondary lymphedema patients, microsurgery was performed in 45 hospitalized patients. Patients were aged 25 to 75 years, had at least third-degree lymphedema, no satisfactory results from previous physical or pharmacologic therapy, without primitive neoplasia, at least 1 year since the last postsurgical adjuvant oncological treatment, and <15 years since the previous primary oncologic lymphedema development. A microsurgical lymphovenous shunt of the spermatic cord (n = 7), a lymphovenous shunt of the lower limbs (n = 32), or lymphatic grafting of the upper limbs (n = 6) was performed. The male external genitals were treated through an innovative lymphovenous shunt of the lymphatic collectors in the pampiniform plexus of the spermatic cord. For lower limb lymphedema, the lymphatics were shunted to the collaterals or saphenous vein. For upper limb lymphedema, a shunt was performed between the lymph vessels of the jugular-supraclavicular area and those in close continuity with the axillary region. The patency of the new lymphatic pathways was assessed using Photodynamic Eye (Hamamatsu Photonic K.K., Tokyo, Japan) lymphography.

Results: Six months postoperatively, 36 responding patients showed an almost complete recovery from secondary lymphedema. Lymphatic meshes, consisting of several lymphatic vessels merging into well-canalized and complex networks developing in the perianastomotic area or between the adjacent proximal anastomotic lymphatic collectors, were commonly observed in patients who positively responded to microsurgery. These complexes were never encountered in nonresponding patients or in normal, nonedematous tissue.

Conclusions: Long-term postsurgical recovery from severe secondary lymphedema requires canalizing the lymphatic collectors along their original flow pattern and developing perianastomotic meshes. Because this phenomenon can be observed with the same characteristics in different tissues, such as the spermatic cord and the inguinocrural, inguinoscrotal, inguinotesticular, and brachial regions, the development of meshes seems to reflect a generalized phenomenon of local lymphangiogenesis triggered by the microsurgical procedure.