Lymphovenous Bypass

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Lymphedema is a buildup of lymph fluid or fatty tissues under the skin. It can cause swelling, pain, and discomfort, usually in the arms or legs. Lymphedema is a common side effect of cancer treatment, especially surgery to treat breast cancer and gynecologic cancers such as ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and uterine cancer. It also can result from the treatment of melanoma, sarcoma, and tumors arising in the pelvis.

Treatment for breast cancer can bring many unintended and potentially unpleasant side effects. One of the more common side effects of surgery for breast cancer is lymphedema. If you’ve had a lumpectomy or mastectomy, your doctor may have also removed some lymph nodes from the axilla area, essentially the armpit. This is a standard means of checking whether the cancer has spread, and sentinel lymph node biopsies and axillary lymph node dissections are common procedures for breast cancer patients.