Understanding Patient Expectations of Lymphedema Surgery

Patients with lymphedema refractory to medical treatment often have unrealistic expectations for lymphedema surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess patient expectations following lymphedema surgery.

Patients presenting to the clinic for initial evaluation for lymphedema surgery were offered to complete a survey designed to evaluate their expectations for limb appearance, limb function, and overall well-being following lymphedema surgery. The patients were instructed to score each item using a five-point scale for improvement. A mean expectation score was calculated, which was then used to estimate the effects of preoperative variables on patients expectations using multiple regression analysis.

A total of 21 women and two men with a mean age of 60 years completed the survey. The upper limbs were affected in 10 patients and the lower limbs were affected in 13 patients. Physicians were the initial source of information about lymphedema surgery as a potential treatment option in 10 patients (43 percent), and a majority of the patients [n = 15 (65.2 percent)] thought that the physicians had fair or poor knowledge about lymphedema surgery. Significant or complete improvement was expected by 43.4 to 73.9 percent of patients. Patients' level of education, the disease duration, and the initial source of information about lymphedema surgery had a statistically significant impact on patients' expectations.

Early data suggest that most patients learn about lymphedema surgery from nonphysicians, with many expecting complete or significant improvement of lymphedema-associated symptoms with surgery. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing patient expectations and providing appropriate counseling before surgery.