Surgical Prevention of Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema: A Scoping Review

Breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) is the most common cause of secondary lymphedema in the Western world and occurs in up to one-third of breast cancer survivors following axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Compression of the affected limb is a mainstay of therapy. Surgical management of BCRL involves excision of excess fibroadipose tissue and physiologic procedures to improve fluid retention in the limb. Once lymphedema is established, the inflammatory cascade and fibrosis render the disease hard to reverse. The purpose of this review is to elucidate existing management strategies for prevention of breast cancer-related lymphedema. A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Ovid, Embase, and Scopus. Articles that included management strategies for prevention of BCRL were selected for review. Immediate lymphatic reconstruction (ILR) is a microsurgical technique that connects disrupted axillary lymphatic vessels to nearby veins by lymphovenous anastomoses at the time of ALND and has been shown to reduce rates of lymphedema from 30% to 4-12%. BCRL remains incurable. Immediate lymphatic reconstruction has emerged as a preventative strategy to reduce rates of lymphedema in breast cancer patients.