Lymphedema is a disease in which lymph transport is impaired and severe swelling may develop. Artem Zavaruev, candidate of medical sciences, vascular surgeon, member of the Russian Association of Phlebologists, associate professor at the department of hospital surgery with a course of pediatric surgery at the Amur State Medical Academy, spoke on this topic. “Teleport.RF”.
Lymph is a clear fluid that is responsible for removing waste products from cells. It also plays an important role in immunity. Impairment of lymph transport in lipedema causes swelling in the upper or lower extremities.
“This swelling progresses continuously, leading primarily to visual enlargement and pain in the limb. Then edema accompanies various disorders in all layers of the skin on the affected limb, in particular, thickening and “restructuring” of the connective tissue, and chronic inflammation develops. Lymphedema in its extreme degree is often called elephantiasis (elephant disease), when one limb becomes several times larger than the other and visually resembles an elephant’s leg. Various infections can occur due to changes in the skin,” explained Zavaruev.
The disease can leave a person bedridden. There is no single treatment for lymphedema. However, special nutrition, compression stockings, physical activity and massage significantly slow down the development of the disease and allow you to live a normal life. For some patients, surgical removal of fat or creation of lymphovenous anastomoses – additional pathways for lymph drainage – is indicated.
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