Other treatments

Surgery Back to top

Surgery| is rarely used to treat lymphoedema. It’s sometimes used to reduce swelling around the face or genital areas, or to reduce the size of an affected limb by removing skin and underlying tissue. 

Highly specialised surgical techniques are being developed, which involve transplanting or creating new lymph channels in the affected area. This is still experimental and not widely available.

Liposuction involves surgically removing extra fatty tissue through several small cuts in the skin using a vacuum. After the operation, a compression bandage is applied to the limb and it is elevated. After a couple of weeks the bandages are replaced by compression garments, which are renewed every few months until the swelling has been reduced.

Laser therapy Back to top

Light energy from a laser is a newer treatment. It may improve lymph flow, soften hard tissue and reduce swelling, and seems to be more effective in arm lymphoedema. Further research is needed to find out more about its possible benefits. 

Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy Back to top

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy| is a treatment which involves providing the body with extra oxygen. ‘Hyper’ means increased and ‘baric’ relates to pressure. People can breathe in this increased oxygen by sitting in a special chamber.

HBO therapy has recently been tested in people with lymphoedema as it’s thought that it may help to improve the flow of lymph and reduce swelling in the arm. This is still being tested in research trials and we’ll know more when the results are available. Only a few specialised centres offer this treatment.

Lymphoedema taping (Kinesio® Taping) Back to top

This is a special taping technique originally developed to treat sports injuries. More recently it has been used to treat lymphoedema.

A special stretchy tape is applied directly onto the skin. It gently lifts the top layer of skin, which allows the superficial lymph fluid to flow more easily. The tape is waterproof and can be worn for several days at a time. It’s used in combination with compression garments or bandaging, or in areas where it’s difficult to apply compression. Your lymphoedema specialist can tell you more about this technique.