Lymphedema, the rare disorder suffered by Florencia Kirchner

Lymphoedema or lymphatic edema,
the diagnosis that

Florencia Kirchner

he had received last August, according to his defense lawyer declared to justice, a rare disorder in medical practice.

It is an inflammation that appears in the arms or legs through an obstruction in the network of vessels that form the lymphatic system, which helps the immune system.

This vascular complication occurs when the lymph, a limpid liquid rich in protein, does not flow properly and accumulates in the tissues. "The lymphatic system is a system parallel to that of the blood vessels (veins and arteries) and the function is to collect excess fluid in the tissues, the system drains excess fluid and eventually depositing it in the venous system in the large veins of the neck, "said Marcelo Nahin, a cardiovascular surgeon at the British Hospital in Buenos Aires.

When the vessels of this network are obstructed, lymphoedema appears. The detailed causes of this obstruction, as detailed by the specialist, may be infection, surgical removal of the axillary lymph nodes, for example in the treatment of bad cancer or radiotherapy. In addition, the patient may be born with few lymphatic vessels, although Nahin pointed out that in these cases, "it is early." In any case, it is a complication that will require constant care.

Treatment includes the use of compression bandages, lymphatic drainage by a trained professional or person and skin care.

Heat, stress and air travel that do not allow you to keep your legs up and stretched, as you can on a business trip or first, can make this worse. If it is a trip of several hours, it is advisable to use it with scales.

When it affects the lower limbs, "patients are advised to avoid standing as much as possible and, when they need to walk, they must do so with a compression bandage to prevent any accumulation of fluid in the affected limb ". Nahin added.