01920nas a2200181 4500000000100000008004100001260001000042653001200052653002100064653001500085100001300100700001900113700001300132245011800145856006300263520138700326022002501713 2021 d bWiley 10 aSurgery 10 aGeneral Medicine 10 aLymphedema 1 aTang NSJ 1 aRamakrishnan A 1 aShayan R 00 aQuality‐of‐life outcomes after operative management of primary and secondary lymphoedema: a systematic review uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ans.16764 3 aBackground
Lymphoedema is an incurable and progressive disease that affects not only physical function but overall quality of life. Surgical treatment options for the management of lymphoedema are being increasingly performed. This study aims to review post‐operative health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) following surgical treatment of lymphoedema.
Methods
A systematic search of the PubMed and Medline databases was performed from the date of their inception until September 2018 to evaluate HRQOL following different surgical options for the treatment of lymphoedema.
Results
One hundred and thirteen articles were identified. Twenty‐one articles were included in the final review, comprising a total of 736 patients. HRQOL improvements appear to be sustained for at least 6–12 months post‐operatively. In particular, major benefits were noted in the domains based around physical functioning. Patient satisfaction similarly mirrors HRQOL improvements, following an initial dip in the immediate post‐operative period.
Conclusion
All surgical treatment modalities for the management of lymphoedema confer significant HRQOL improvements across a diverse range of health domains, with this critical outcome of surgery an important pre‐operative consideration. Recommendations for ongoing research are suggested. a1445-1433, 1445-2197