Experience of a new surgical procedure for the treatment of unilateral obstructive lymphedema of the lower extremity: adipo-lymphatico venous transfer.

We report five cases of adipo-lymphatico venous transfer (ALVT) performed to treat unilateral obstructive lymphedema of the lower extremity. ALVT is a surgical procedure that utilizes the long saphenous vein and its surrounding lymphatic tissue from the unaffected limb for the treatment of lymphedema. Since ALVT does not necessitate anastomoses of lymphatic vessels, it can be performed regardless of the severity and duration of lymphedema, and stable long-term results can be obtained when the transferred lymphatic tissue shows viability.