Lymphoedema
Questions patients ask
What comes up in the first conversation.
It has been swollen for fifteen years. Is it too late?
No, but expectations change. Long-standing swelling contains more fibrotic tissue and less free fluid, so the percentage reduction is usually smaller and the block often longer. It is still worth doing, and the assessment will be specific rather than encouraging.
Can I fly with lymphoedema?
Yes, wearing your compression. Flying is often listed as a risk and the evidence for that is weaker than the advice suggests — but compression during the flight is sensible and costs nothing.
Will the swelling come back?
If the maintenance phase stops, yes, usually within months. If it is maintained, the result largely holds. This is the single most important thing to understand before booking.
Is a pneumatic compression pump worth buying?
It can help some people as an addition to garments and routine, and it does not replace either. Ask during the block rather than buying one online first — the wrong device is a common and expensive purchase.
Can a companion come?
Yes, and it helps: a companion who has learned the bandaging and the skin check is useful at home, particularly where the swelling is in an arm and one-handed bandaging is awkward.
Sources
- Manual lymphatic drainage for lymphoedema following breast cancer treatment — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2015)
- Manual lymphatic drainage adds no further volume reduction to Complete Decongestive Therapy on breast cancer-related lymphoedema: a multicentre, randomised, single-blind trial — British Journal of Cancer (2018)
- A systematic review of the evidence for complete decongestive therapy in the treatment of lymphedema — Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2012)
- Lipoedema is not lymphoedema: a review of current literature — International Wound Journal (2018)
- Exploration of Patient Characteristics and Quality of Life in Patients with Lipoedema Using a Survey — Dermatology and Therapy (2018)
