Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer

Over the past decade, lymph node transfer has rapidly gained popularity among plastic surgeons for the treatment of chronic lymphedema because of the initial promising results and its unique technical advantages compared with the other reconstructive options. However, its functional mechanism is still a matter of great debate, and some concerning reports have emerged regarding the safety of this procedure in patients with chronic lymphedema. The authors review the literature on the experimental and clinical evidence for lymph node transfer, discuss its proposed functional mechanisms, review the potential risk of iatrogenic lymphedema following this procedure, and discuss the suggested strategies to avoid this complication.