RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Treatment of patients with lymphoedema is time-consuming, labour-intensive, and is frequently associated with considerable costs. In Poland, patients with lower limb lymphoedema encounter major problems with access to the comprehensive antioedema therapy. In many cases treatment is limited only to the compression therapy alone or various forms of lymphatic drainage without compression support. This situation makes it difficult to obtain satisfactory treatment results. AIM: To compare the effects of lower limb lymphoedema treatment by means of the multilayer compression therapy alone and the comprehensive antioedema therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-four women aged 50-80 years with stage 2 primary lymphoedema of the lower limbs were treated. The therapy was carried out at the Daily Rehabilitation Centre of the Palium Hospice in Poznan. The patients were treated for 2 weeks with the application of the multilayer compression therapy alone (group 1) or the comprehensive antioedema therapy (group 2). RESULTS: After 2 weeks, the volume of treated limbs decreased by 652.9 ±712.2 ml (15.9%) in group 1 and by 523.1 ±448.1 ml (11.2%) in group 2. The range of observed changes was comparable (p = 0.77). CONCLUSIONS: Although the oedema reduction was significant in both groups, no differences in the degree of the reduction were observed, which depends on the application of both therapeutic techniques. In the short-term treatment, no beneficial effect of the manual lymphatic drainage on the increase of the volume reduction of lower limbs affected by lymphoedema was observed.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Lymphedema is a chronic condition which significantly lowers the quality of patient life, particularly among elderly populations, whose mobility and physical function are often reduced. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of multi-layer compression bandaging (MCB) and complex decongestive therapy (CDT), and to show that MCB is a cheaper, more accessible and less labor intensive method of treating lymphedema in elderly patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 103 patients (85 women and 18 men) aged ≥60 years, with unilateral lower limb lymphedema. The subjects were divided into two groups: 50 treated with CDT and 53 with MCB. Pre- and post-treatment BMI, and average and maximum circumference of the edematous extremities were analyzed. RESULTS: Reduction in swelling in both groups was achieved after 15 interventions. Both therapies demonstrated similar efficacy in reducing limb volume and circumference, but MCB showed greater efficacy in reducing the maximum circumference. CONCLUSION: Compression bandaging is a vital component of CDT. Maximum lymphedema reduction during therapy and maintaining its effect cannot be achieved without it. It also demonstrates its effectiveness as an independent method, which can reduce therapy cost and accessibility.