Complex decongestive physiotherapy (
CDP) consists of a two-phase treatment program and is the international standard
therapy for
lymphedema. However, this
therapy is not performed at most hospitals in Japan.
METHODS: The subjects of the present study were 82 Japanese women with
lymphedema of an extremity (median age, 64 years; range, 40-86 years). The volume of the affected extremity was compared before and after
therapy, and the duration of the
CDP treatment phase and rate of
edema reduction were ascertained. The associations between the effect of
CDP and duration of
lymphedema, operative procedure, and
radiotherapy were also investigated.
RESULTS: For patients with upper-extremity
lymphedema, the median duration of the
CDP treatment phase was 6 treatment days (range, 3-26 days), median reduction of
edema volume was 328.7 ml (range, 76.6-1258.0 ml; P = 0.0014), and median rate of
edema reduction was 58.9% (range, 42.7%-97.1%). For patients with lower-extremity
lymphedema, the median duration of the
CDP treatment phase was 10 treatment days (range, 2-35 days), median reduction of
edema volume was 1573.7 ml (range, 293.9-3471.1 ml; P < 0.0001), and median rate of
edema reduction was 73.4% (range, 29.2%-117.3%). Although no correlation was seen between duration of
lymphedema and duration of the
CDP treatment phase or rate of
edema reduction, the degree of
lymph node dissection tended to influence rate of
edema reduction in patients with lower-extremity
lymphedema.
CONCLUSION: