Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Inguinal Lymphorrhea

Abstract

Inguinal lymphorrhea is a complication of surgery, such as lymphadenectomy and revascularization. The inguinal region repeatedly flexes and extends, and lymphorrhea is often intractable. Persistence of this condition for a long period can lead to impaired wound healing and infection, which reduces patient’s quality of life and is a concern from the perspective of medical costs. Conservative treatment is often the first choice for managing lymphorrhea, but surgery is considered if the condition becomes intractable. In recent years, negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) has been used as a conservative treatment, but there are few reports on the use of this method for inguinal lymphorrhea due to problems with management of air leaks and contamination. We used NPWT and NPWT with instillation and dwelling in four cases of inguinal lymphorrhea and obtained improved wound healing with the formation of granulation tissue in the early phase. Outcomes of these cases suggest that NPWT may be a useful treatment method for inguinal lymphorrhea.