PURPOSE: Lymphatic Microsurgical Preventative Healing Approach (LYMPHA) is performed at the time of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) reducing rate of lymphedema (LE). It is often performed with immediate Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction (IBBR). We aimed to determine whether the additional LYMPHA procedure impacts surgical outcomes of IBBR. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study included breast cancer patients undergoing Mastectomy with IBBR (with and without ALND with LYMPHA (April 2021 -May 2023). Complications recorded were hematoma, seroma, minor infection (requiring oral antibiotics), major infection (requiring intravenous antibiotics), wound dehiscence, mastectomy flap necrosis, implant exposure, and readmission within 90 days of surgery. RESULTS: 77 patients met inclusion criteria: 48% (n=37) had IBBR with LYMPHA and 52% (n=40) had IBBR without LYMPHA. CONCLUSION: The study showed no statistically significant differences in complications between IBBR patients with or without LYMPHA, indicating that LYMPHA does not increase postoperative risks.
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Desai et al. (2024) studied this question.
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