Abstract
Background
While arm lymphedema following breast cancer treatment is a common complication; breast lymphedema following treatment is not uncommon. Several risk factors were found to contribute to breast lymphedema,
Aim:
We aimed to provide a systematic review to help avoiding or management of breast lymphoedema
Method
The search term 'breast lymphedema' was combined with 'breast conservative surgery' and was used to conduct literature research in PubMed and Medline. The term lymphedema was combined with breast, conservative and surgery to search Embase database. All papers published in English were included with no exclusion date limits
Results
A total of 2155 female patients were included in this review; age ranged from 26 to 90. Mean BMI was 28.4, most of the studies included patients who underwent conservative breast surgery. Incidence of breast lymphedema ranged from 24.8% to 90.4%. Several risk factors were linked to breast lymphedema after conservative breast surgery, such as body mass index (BMI), breast size, tumour size, tumour site, type of surgery and adjuvant therapy. Treatment options focused on decongestive lymphatic therapy, including Manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), self-massaging, compression bras or Kinesio taping.
Conclusions
Breast lymphedema is a relatively common complication, yet there is no clear consensus on the definition or treatment options.
Commentary on: Aesthetic Breast Surgery and Concomitant Procedures: Incidence and Risk Factors for Major Complications in 73,608 Cases
