Surgical treatment of lymphedema: a report on 652 cases.

We performed the world's first lymphography, and 2 years later we focused our surgical methods on total superficial lymphangiectomy for the treatment of lymphedema. In the course of 40 years, we have studied the results of this treatment for edemas of lymphatic origin. We surgically treated 600 cases of lymphedema of the lower limb, 48 of the genital organs, and four of the upper limb and have had very promising results. Indications for surgical treatment of these edemas due to lymphatic blockage include the considerable inconvenience caused by the very large size of the extremity affected with lymphorrhagia or chylorrhagia, the severe lymphangitis that occurs in the course of their development, and finally the malignant degeneration of the lymphatic vessels in 1% of the cases.