The innovative LYMPHA procedure prevented lymphedema in 90% of patients undergoing breast surgery, according to a study published by Dr. Feldman and colleagues October 15, 2015, in the Annals of Oncology.
Lymphedema is painful, debilitating swelling of the arm, hand, torso, or breast caused by impaired flow of the lymphatic vessels. Lymphedema affects up to 40% of women who undergo axillary lymph node dissection and up to 13% of those who undergo sentinel node biopsy.
The Section of Breast Surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia is the first center in the U.S. to offer the LYMPHA procedure, an innovative protocol aimed at preventing the development of lymphedema.