The use of lympho-venous anastomoses to prevent complications from ilio-inguinal dissection.
Lympho-venous anastomoses (LVA) were performed in 30 patients, immediately after the completion of ilio-inguinal dissection for metastatic nodal involvement. This surgical procedure, originally devised to treat post-mastectomy lymphedema from radical mastectomy, was intended in this series of cases to prevent complications from ilio-inguinal nodal dissection. Actually, when compared to another group of 84 patients previously operated on by ilio-inguinal nodal dissection without lympho-venous anastomoses, the series showed a lower rate of local-regional complications (38% vs 65.9%). The mean duration of hospital stay was also reduced (18.5 vs 34.7 days). Distant lymphedema of the lower limb was observed in 7 of 23 patients who had received LVA, whereas in the control group, lymphedema was recorded in 39 of 52 patients who were regularly followed-up (30% vs 75%). LVA should be routinely used, as a useful surgical procedure, to prevent or reduce the occurrence of local-regional complications following ilio-inguinal nodal dissections.
Orefice
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Divisione di Oncologia Chirurgica C, Istituto Nazionale per lo Studio e la Cura dei Tumori, Milano, Italia.
Conti
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AR
Grassi
M
M
Salvadori
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B
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007085:Ilium; D007264:Inguinal Canal; D007866:Leg; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008208:Lymphatic System / Q000601:surgery*; D008209:Lymphedema / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014680:Veins / Q000601:surgery