1. The etiology of lymphedema? Local trauma, surgery, radiotherapy, filarial infection, recurrent dermatitis and female pelvic inflammatory disease may lead to lymphedema. 2.How do I know if I have lymphedema? For people who have the above-mentioned diseases that cause lymphedema (for example, those who have undergone breast cancer surgery + local lymph node dissection in the armpit), they should be alerted to the possibility of lymphedema if they have difficulty dressing their upper or lower limbs, difficulty wearing their original jewelry, a feeling of heaviness in their limbs, or if they notice that their limbs are thicker than the other side. Edema in the jaw area may occur after head and neck surgery, perineal lymphedema may occur after pelvic surgery, and some diseases may also lead to abdominal wall lymphedema. 3.What should I do if lymphedema appears? In the early stage of the disease, it is effective to insist on local physical massage and wearing elastic sleeve under the guidance of doctors and nurses. When the disease progresses and massage and elastic sleeve cannot relieve the local edema, surgery should be considered. 4.Can lymphedema be combined with other diseases? When lymphedema progresses severely, thick, deep folds of skin may appear, also known as “rubbery swelling”. This condition is often combined with recurrent bacterial infections and even local cellulitis. In addition, lymphedema has the possibility of malignant transformation. 5.What are the surgical procedures for lymphedema? The surgical procedures for lymphedema include vascularized lymph node free graft and lymphatic vein anastomosis. Both of them require hospitalization. The choice of the procedure is based on the results of MRI and other ancillary tests. 6.What are the treatment results of lymphedema surgery? The procedure is effective in most patients who do not present with tissue fibrosis. Therefore, early consultation is recommended, and surgery is the treatment of choice if conservative treatment fails. The time for the swelling of the limb to subside after surgery varies from person to person, generally ranging from 3 days to 1 year. 7.What are the possible risks of surgery? Surgery to treat lymphedema requires transplantation of normal lymph nodes to the affected area, and scarring will be left in both the donor and recipient areas. To ensure the survival of the lymph nodes, microscopic anastomosis of the blood vessels is required, and there is a possibility of thrombosis after surgery. 8.What do I need to pay attention to before and after surgery? Strictly no smoking (avoid active/passive smoking). 4 weeks after surgery, you need to start to adhere to the compression of the elastic sleeve (wear it during the day and take it off at night). 9.How to avoid the occurrence of lymphedema and comorbidities? If you have undergone breast surgery and axillary lymph node surgery, care should be taken to avoid injury to the upper extremity of the affected side, including needles, cuts, etc. For patients who have developed lymphedema, it is important to maintain daily massage and compression therapy, keep the skin clean, exercise appropriately, and avoid weight bearing on the affected limb. When it has been more than six months since the injury or surgery, and at the same time conservative treatment is ineffective, surgical treatment is required as soon as possible.