Use of a tourniquet with and without adrenaline reduces blood loss during liposuction for lymphoedema of the arm.
Author
Summary, in English
Sixty-two patients with lymphoedema of the arm after mastectomy and with hypertrophy of the adipose tissue were consecutively treated by liposuction in three different ways. The first group was operated on without the use of a tourniquet. In the second group, liposuction extended up to the distal edge of the tourniquet, and then into the proximal upper arm previously covered by the tourniquet using the 'dry' technique. Treatment of the third group was identical to that of the second one, but the area covered by the tourniquet was treated by the tumescent technique. Eighteen patients who did not have lymphoedema either treated or not treated with adrenaline served as a reference group to see how blood transfusions varied with various volumes of aspirate. Using a tourniquet significantly reduced blood loss and the number of transfusions, which was further reduced by tumescence. In the historical reference group, the number of blood transfusions increased as the volume of aspirate increased, and further if no adrenaline was added.
Department/s
Publishing year
2007
Language
English
Pages
243-249
Publication/Series
Scandinavian Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Hand Surgery
Volume
41
Issue
5
Links
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Clinical Medicine
Keywords
- lymphoedema
- blood transfusion
- liposuction
- tourniquet
- breast cancer
- tumescence
- blood loss
- Lymphedema
Status
Published
Research group
- Clinical Chemistry, Malmö
- Surgery
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 1651-2073