Reconstructive surgery: Lymphovenous anastomosis versus lymph node transplantation—Can they stay as independent therapy options?

Lymphatic-venous anastomosis techniques have been effectively reducing volume and infection rates in patients with peripheral lymphedema for more than 30 years. Vascularized lymph node transfers have been more recently proposed and show some early promise, but the underlying mechanism is unclear and risk of iatrogenic lymphedema is a concern with some donor sites. Standardization for research study outcomes will allow us to move forward and delineate the most appropriate surgery type for each lymphedema patient.