title: The use of suction curettage as adjunct to the management of lymphedema.
abstract: This case report describes the use of suction curettage as an adjunct to the method of skin and subcutaneous tissue excision in the treatment of primary lymphedema. Pretreatment with high-vacuum cannula suction can provide three advantages over straightforward primary excision and closure; (1) larger volumes of skin and subcutaneous tissue can be resected at a single setting; (2) tensionless closure can be obtained without skin flap undermining; and (3) procedural blood loss is minimized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Louton
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Terranova
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000601:surgery*; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000601:surgery*; D013396:Suction / Q000379:methods*