[Therapeutic concepts in treatment of lymphedema]

Lymphoedema is a chronically progressive disease which, if left untreated, can lead to a massive reduction in quality of life and secondary diseases such as recurrent erysipelas. For a long time, purely conservative therapy was considered the only treatment option for primary or secondary chronic lymphedema of the upper or lower extremities. Only in very pronounced late forms were resection procedures such as liposuction or tissue removal considered as further treatment options. A series of modern reconstructive therapy procedures are now available thanks to the-in some cases rapid-further development of diagnostic and microsurgical procedures, which in many cases can significantly alleviate the severity of the disease in the hands of experienced microsurgeons.

The aim of this article is to present the modern treatment options for lymphedema according to the current state of scientific knowledge in a practice-oriented manner and to provide guidelines for the optimal treatment of affected patients.

In addition to indispensable conservative therapy, modern microsurgical procedures can lead to successful and lasting symptom relief in mandy cases and should be considered at an early stage. Preoperative diagnostics are essential for choosing the right treatment and its success.