Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer Improved Outcomes of Elderly Patients with Secondary Upper Extremity Lymphedema

Background: Secondary lymphedema is a debilitating morbidity. This study investigated the outcomes of vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) in elderly patients with secondary upper extremity lymphedema. Methods: Between 2008 and 2018, elderly (≥65 years) patients with secondary upper extremity lymphedema who underwent VLNT were retrospectively reviewed. Cheng’s Lymphedema Grading, Taiwan Lymphoscintigraphy Staging, and indocyanine green lymphography were used to select the procedures. Outcome measurements included complications, circumferential difference, episodes of cellulitis, and the Lymphedema-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire (LYMQoL). Results: Eleven patients with a mean age of 70.2 ± 5.3 years (range 65–80 years) who underwent VLNT survived and no major complications were encountered. At a mean follow-up of 6.5 ± 3.6 years (range 2–13 years), the mean limb circumferential difference was significantly improved from 25.6 ± 11.5% to 8.3 ± 4.2% (p = 0.016), and the mean episode of cellulitis was statistically reduced from 2.4 ± 1.3 to 0.4 ± 0.9 times/year (p = 0.007). At a follow-up of 24 months, four domains of Function (from 30.6 ± 2.8 to 14.5 ± 2.5), Appearance (from 18.2 ± 1.9 to 8.5 ± 2.1), Symptoms (from 30.4 ± 5.9 to 10.9 ± 1.0) and Mood (from 29.2 ± 4.4 to 10.7 ± 1.0), as well as overall LYMQoL score (from 3.9 ± 1.1 to 7.4 ± 0.5), showed statistical improvement (all p < 0.05). Conclusions: VLNT for secondary upper extremity lymphedema in elderly patients significantly decreased the limb circumferential difference and frequency of cellulitis and improved quality of life without using compression garments postoperatively.