A 34-year-old Sudanese woman was treated at a city hospital for lymphoedema and underwent a microvascular lymph node transfer for the condition, a press release said.
Lymphoedema is a swelling that occurs in the arms or legs, caused by removal of the lymph nodes or when they are not present at birth or when they get infected. It results from a blockage in the lymphatic system, which prevents lymph fluid from draining well, and the fluid build up, leads to swelling.
The patient had come to SIMS Hospital, Vadapalani, with a 15-year history of swelling of both the lower limbs. Doctors found that the swelling in the lower left limb was more severe, and she also had an ulcer in the back of the left leg with a continuous discharge, said K. Sridhar, director, institute of plastic surgery at the hospital.
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She had tried different treatments, but none had been effective. She was unable to walk, could not wear footwear of the same size and suffered from the stench emanating from the infected lymph. The patient was started on physiotherapy and the skin ulceration and the leakage of fluid healed. She came back after 11 months, and the team decided to offer her vascularised lymph node transfer, a micro-surgical procedure in which normal lymph nodes are transferred to a part of the body that suffers from lymphoedema.
Lymph nodes from her chin region were transferred to the left ankle. . This procedure can help breast cancer patients who underwent mastectomy resulting in lymphoedema,” said Dr. Sridhar.