What question did this study set out to answer?

To establish guidelines for when to refer patients for surgical intervention in lymphedema management.

June 19, 2026Open Access

Appropriate Time to Refer for Surgery

JYJin A YoonPusan National University Hospital

Key Points

To establish guidelines for when to refer patients for surgical intervention in lymphedema management.
Analyzed current literature on microsurgical techniques for lymphedema.
Discussed indications for surgical treatment based on conservative treatment failures and inflammatory responses.
Recommended multidisciplinary approaches and compression therapy for postoperative care.
Surgical intervention improves lymphedema prognosis, with increasing evidence reported.
Optimal timing and indications for surgery are variable and require personalized assessment.
Long-term outcomes benefit significantly from the integration of compression therapy.

Abstract

With advances in the microsurgical technique for lymphedema, the scope of surgical indications has been broadened, and reports showing that it improves the prognoses of lymphedema are mounting. In this background, consensus needs to be reached on the indications for surgical treatment, optimal timing, and postoperative care in Korea as well. Although surgical treatment can be considered as an alternative in cases of unresponsive to adequate conservative treatment or those in which lymphedema is exacerbated due to repeated inflammatory responses, surgical treatment should be determined on a case-by-case basis based on not a uniform solution for all cases but a multidisciplinary approach. Further, compression therapy to enhance long-term postoperative outcomes should also be essentially considered, and discussion on the appropriate protocol is needed.

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