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The Role of Lymphovenous Bypass and Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer in the Management of Head and Neck Lymphedema
Sydney Chratian BS, Min-Jeong Cho MD
The Ohio State University
2025-01-10
Presenter: Sydney Chratian
Affidavit:
I certify that the material proposed for presentation in this abstract has not been published in any scientific journal or previously presented at a major meeting. 100% of the work on this project is original work by the authors.
Director Name: Gregory Pearson
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: General Reconstruction
Background: Head and neck lymphedema (HNL) is a significant complication arising from head and neck cancer treatment, with reported incidences as high as 90% for external lymphedema and 89% for internal lymphedema among survivors. Despite its high prevalence, there is limited literature evaluating the impact of the surgical management on objective outcomes and quality of life (QOL) for patients with HNL. We present our institutional experience of lymphovenous bypass (LVB) and vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) for the surgical management of HNL.
Methods: Patients who underwent LVB or VLNT for treatment of HNL between 2014 and 2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical data collected included patient demographics, operative characteristics, postoperative outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes. Circumferential measurements were analyzed for six patients.
Results: Among nine patients who met inclusion criteria, seven underwent LVB and two underwent VLNT, with an average follow-up time of 11.6 months. The average age of the patients was 60.6 years and the average time between completion of head and neck cancer treatment and onset of lymphedema symptoms was 2.55 months. While the postoperative circumferential measurements were significantly improved at the submental (p=0.020) and superior neck (p=0.041) locations; there was no significant improvement in inferior neck circumference (p=0.585) and total facial composite measurement (0.803) postoperatively. Additionally, patients had significantly improved scores on The University of Washington Quality of Life Questionnaire (UW-QOL) postoperatively (p=0.014).
Conclusion: LVB and VLNT demonstrate improvements in quality of life and functionality in HNL patients, offering effective options for those unresponsive to conservative therapies.
