Effectiveness and Safety of Complete Decongestive Therapy of Phase I: A Lymphedema Treatment Study in the Greek Population

Background Lymphedema is a chronic condition caused by a failure in the lymphatic system that most commonly occurs in the limbs. Complete decongestive therapy (CDT) is the gold standard for lymphedema management. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of complete decongestive therapy (CDT) of phase I in the Greek population with lymphedema. Methods The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. CDT was implemented in all patients for 20 sessions in a four-week treatment period. The edema’s (excess volume (EV) and percent of excess volume (PEV)) measurements were carried out four times in the treatment period, whereas the percent reduction of excess volume (PREV) was calculated at the end of phase I. Moreover, we recorded every infection, trauma of skin, and pain of limb during the treatment. Results One-hundred five patients with lymphedema were enrolled in the present study, of whom 31.4% had upper limb lymphedema and 68.6% had lower limb lymphedema. All patients with upper limb lymphedema had a secondary type while the corresponding proportion of patients with lower limb lymphedema was 58.3%. A significant reduction (p<0.001) between the pre-treatment and post-treatment values of EV and PEV was found for both upper and lower limb lymphedema. For patients with upper limb lymphedema, the average PREV was 66.5% (interquartile range, 57.3%-80.6%), whereas for patients with lower limb lymphedema, a 71.5% (interquartile range, 64.5%-80.7%) median value was measured. No side effects from the treatment were recorded during CDT. Conclusion The proper treatment of the CDT phase I ensures safety and a great reduction in edema in patients with lymphedema that predispose the success of phase II of CDT.