How To Effectively Treat Lymphedema

Suction Assisted Lipectomy

Suction-assisted lipectomy is a surgical procedure used to treat cases of chronic lymphedema that cannot be managed by otherwise conservative measures. When an individual is affected by chronic lymphedema, the inflammation from fluid spillage can encourage fat stem cells to multiply and grow into adipose tissue. This accumulation of fatty tissue causes the limb to become significantly larger in volume than the rest of the patient's limbs. This abnormality often leads to physical debilitation from the limb imbalance. Even muscle and bone begin to grow to compensate for the excess load of tissue. Suction-assisted lipectomy or liposuction uses a technique that involves the suction of fat from affected tissues. The type of liposuction used in the treatment of lymphedema is highly specialized and not the same as the cosmetic type of liposuction. Suction-assisted lipectomy is not a long term cure for a patient's lymphatic dysfunction, and it only regresses the disease to a certain point. It treats the complications and debilitation that results when an individual reaches advanced stage lymphedema.

Get familiar with another lymphedema treatment now.

Only Bathe In Lukewarm Water

Lymphedema patients are advised to only bathe in lukewarm water. Most individuals bathe in hot water, but those with lymphedema should stay out of hot water, as water warmer than warm room-temperature causes vasodilation. While an induced expansion of the blood vessels is harmless to most individuals, it is quite harmful to those with lymphedema. When blood vessels in the affected limbs expand, more fluid is able to mobilize out of the blood vessels and into the other body tissues. When the fluid moves out of the blood vessels, there is no satisfactory lymphatic system mechanism of reabsorption and recycling of the fluid, so it accumulates in the tissues. This increased accumulation results in compounded swelling in the affected limb when it is exposed to hot water. The typical baseline recommendation lymphedema patients should adhere to is to avoid any water with a temperature of 102 degrees Fahrenheit or higher and bathe in lukewarm water for no longer than fifteen minutes at a time.