Quality of Life in Lymphedema Patients Treated by Microsurgical Lymphatic Vessel Transplantation-A Long-Term Follow-Up.

INTRODUCTION: Lymphedema is a chronic condition characterized by the accumulation of lymph fluid in the upper or lower extremities, leading to swelling, discomfort, and disability in everyday life. While various treatment modalities exist, microsurgical lymphatic vessel transplantation (LVT) has emerged as a promising option. However, there is little to no long-term follow-up data regarding patients' improvement in quality of life for this surgical technique. The present study conducts an investigation of the long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over more than 20 years in patients with lymphedema treated with LVT and accomplishes this by utilizing an adapted SF-12 survey. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent LVT between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2010 at LMU Clinic Munich (n = 35). Quality of life scores were assessed preoperatively and today in terms of physiological conditions, psychological conditions, and burden of therapy using a SF-12 survey adapted to the symptoms and impairments that chronic lymphedemas are known to cause. RESULTS: Our findings demonstrate a significant improvement in HRQoL following LVT, with notable enhancements in physiological and psychological conditions such as burden of therapy. Physiological conditions showed a significant positive change of 3.2648 (p < 0.01). Psychological conditions improved significantly by a factor of 2.0882 (p < 0.01). Additionally, the burden of therapy improved significantly by 1.5883 points (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Previous studies have already shown a significant improvement of HRQoL within the first postoperative years for patients treated by LVT. This study also demonstrates significant long-term improvement after LVT, thus underlining the effectiveness of using LVT to improve the quality of live for patients with both primary and secondary lymphedema long-term.

Long-term outcome of lymph vessel transplantation after chronic lymphorrhea.

A 52-year-old male patient developed a chronic fistula with excessive lymph leakage in the left axilla following removal of an enlarged lymph node with chronic local adipose tissue inflammation due to infection. After multiple surgeries, treatment with lymphatic vessel transplantation was successful. No recurrence occurred over 20 years of follow-up.

Experimental study of rapid and effective magnetic artificial blood vessel transplantation for caval reconstruction in canines / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To evaluate the performance of the magnetic artificial blood vessel device for fast non-suture anastomosis of caval reconstruction with artificial blood vessel transplantation after resection in canines. 【Methods】 Sixteen adult mongrel dogs of either gender were randomly divided into two groups for vena cava reconstruction with artificial blood vessel transplantation after inferior vena cava (IVC) resection. Group MCA (n=8): magnetic artificial blood vessel device for IVC reconstruction; Group manual sewing (MS) (n=8): hand suturing for IVC reconstruction. Operation time and stoma errhysis were recorded during operation. Patency and stoma stenosis were confirmed via color Doppler ultrasound scanning and X-ray cholangiography at different time points as late as 4 weeks after surgery. 【Results】 The time required to perform the vascular anastomosis was significantly shorter for the magnetic artificial blood vessel device (6.25±2.25)min than for MS (27.32±5.12)min (P<0.001). There were four cases of stoma errhysis in MS group which had to be repaired (P=0.077). Vascular X-ray angiography and color Doppler ultrasound found normal blood flow and no stoma stenosis in MCA group, but three cases of stoma stenosis in MS groups (P=0.200). Compared with MS group, the magnetic ring device stoma was associated with smooth re-endothelialization and depressed infiltration of inflammatory cells at the anastomotic site. 【Conclusion】 The magnetic artificial blood vessel device offers a simple, fast, reliable, and efficacious technique for vena cava reconstruction with artificial blood vessel transplantation.

Augmented reality of indocyanine green fluorescence in simplified lymphovenous anastomosis in lymphatic surgery.

BACKGROUND: A physiological and minimal invasive form of surgery with minimal risk to treat lymphedemas is the so-called supermicrosurgical lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) where a lymph vessel is connected with a venule. METHODS: 30 patients (between 2018 and 2019) with secondary upper extremity lymphedema refractory to conservative therapy (manual lymph drainage and compression therapy were operated using the "simplified lymphovenous anastomosis" method). For the assessment of lymphatic supermicrosurgery, an operating microscope in which a near-infrared illumination system is integrated (Leica M530 OHX with glow technology ULT530, Leica Microsystems) and the IC-FlowTM Imaging System(Diagnostic Green)/Visionsense System (Medtronic) together with a ZEISS S8 microscope was used. Augmented reality intraoperative indocyanin green (ICG) lymphography-navigated modified "simplified lymphovenous anastomosis" were performed on the Leica microscope. All patients were informed about Off-label-use of ICG lymphography. RESULTS: 57 LVAs were performed with modified "simplified lymphovenous anastomosis" lymphography-guidance on 30 upper extremities. All patients showed good patency after lymphovenous anastomosis. CONCLUSIONS: Supermicrosurgery in the case of LVA is minimally invasive, highly effective, and shows a very low complication rate. The surgeon/equipment-related factors restrict the pratice of LVA, and its effectiveness limited by technical constraints.

A solution to the vessel shortage during free vascularized fibular grafting for reconstructing infected bone defects of the femur: Bridging with vein transplantation.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and clinical efficacy of bridging vein transplantation to deal with the vessel shortage during free vascularized fibular grafting for reconstructing infected bone defects of the femur. METHODS: Twelve patients (aged 15-58 years) with infected bone defects of the femur (between 6.0 and 18.0cm) were recruited in this study. Vacuum sealing drainage were applied after extensive debridement of the infected bone defects and irrigated with 0.9% sodium chloride solution for 1-2 weeks. After the drainage was clear and the focal infections were controlled, the free vascularized fibula was harvested for reconstructing the femoral bone defects. The vascularized fibula was grafted and fixated appropriately at the recipient site. The autogenous great saphenous vein was harvested, one end was anastomosed and bridged the vascular pedicles of the fibular grafts, and the other end anastomosed the artery and/or the vein in the recipient healthy site. RESULTS: Mean length of vein transplantation with vascularized fibular graft was 10.2 cm (range 7-15cm). All patients had good radiological healing without recorded nonunion or malunion. No patient developed deep infection or implant failure. Primary bone healing was achieved in 10 patients; however, 2 grafted fibular formed pseudarthrosis with the recipient femoral and then healed after a secondary surgery. One patient suffered from graft stress fracture after bone healing and healed after external fixation. After the mean follow-up of 30 months (9-72 months), according to the Enneking scoring system, clinical outcomes were excellent in 7 patients, good in 4 and fair in one. The functional recovery rate of the lesion limb was 89.4%. CONCLUSIONS: Free vascularized fibular graft with vein transplantation bridged vascular pedicle can effectively repair the infected bone, improve blood supply to the bone defect site, and help control infection. It is a feasible and effective treatment for infected bone defects of the femur with poor soft tissue conditions, or blood supply vessel shortage.

The establishment of chronic rejection model of rat's aortic transplantation / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective To establish an aortic transplantation model in the rat. Methods A thoracic aorta to abdominal aorta interposition transplant model in the rat was established. The male Lewis rats were used as donors and the female Brown Norway(BN) rats were used as recipients.Intercepted the thoracic aorta of lewis rats about one and a half centimeter. Transplanted it on the abdominal aorta of BN rats. The activity and weight change of BN rats were observed everyday until 1 week after transplantation. Then observed these index one time a week. The transplanted aortas were harvested at 8 weeks after transplantation. The intimal thickening were observed by pathological. The expression of CD3,CD68 and α-actin on transplanted aorta were observed by immunohistochemistry. Resuts All operations were finished within 2 hours. No recipients died during operation. All recipients could survival more than 8 weeks. The symptoms of bowing back, hair shedding and weight loss was appeared after transplantation. The weight of the rats were upturn at 4 or 5 days after transplantation. About 1 week after transplantation, all situations of the rats were recovery to the lever before transplantation. 8 weeks after transplantation the intimal thickening of the transplanted aortas were observed obviously by pathological. And the expressions of CD3, CD68 and α-actin on aortic allograft were observed. Conclusion The intimal thickening and the expressions of CD3, CD68 and α-actin on aortic allograft were typical expressions of chronic rejection. So this aortic transplantation model is feasible and reliable for studying chronic rejection.