Abstract PO1-28-05: Preventive Microsurgery in Breast Cancer Treatment
Authors: Vladimir Vorotnikov, Alexander Soynov, Alexander Soynov, Regina Pakhomova, Alexandra Gugnina, Sardor Abdugafforov, Sofia Kim, Tornike Mchedlidze
Journal: Cancer Research (2024)

Abstract Relevance: Breast cancer (breast cancer) ranks first among all oncological diseases in women in the world. In 2020, 2.3 million people worldwide were diagnosed with breast cancer. The most common complication after radical breast surgery is violation of lymph outflow in the form of lymphatic edema (lymphedema) of the limb. The probability of developing lymphedema according to scientific literature is from 12 to 60%. Treatment of this complication is carried out conservatively and surgically. According to a review of international experience, a preventive microsurgical technique for restoring lymph outflow from the upper limb – the application of lymphovenous anastomoses (LVA) has a positive result for the prevention of lymphedema, similar to a sentinel lymph node biopsy and can be considered as an addition to standard axillary lymph dissection (ALD). Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of preventive microsurgical application of LVA after ALD in breast cancer. Methods: From August 2022 to June 2023, 44 operations were performed with preventive microsurgical application of lymphovenous anastomoses on the basis of the Department of Tumors of the Female Reproductive System of the Central Clinical Hospital “RZD-Medicine”, Moscow. In 39 patients, surgery was performed during the primary treatment: disease stage cT1-4N1-3M0. Organ-preserving resection with lymph node dissection (9),mastectomy with lymph node dissection (30). In 14 patients, a biopsy of the sentinel lymph node was performed at the first stage; according to the result of a lesion of 2 or more, ALD and LVA were performed. In 5 patients, ALD was performed for local recurrence of the disease in the axillary region. All patients underwent immediate microsurgical restoration of lymphatic outflow from the upper limb during one operation in the axillary region after the stage of lymph node dissection. A fluorescent dye was used for reverse mapping of lymphatic pathways from the upper limb. Isotopes + fluorescent dye were used to determine the sentinel lymph node. Lymphatic venous anastomoses were applied end-to-end, end-to-side, side-to-side and by the Optocus technique. Results: The median follow-up was 5.5 months. The duration of the operation increased by an average of 70 minutes: at the same time, the ALD time increased by an average of 14 minutes for gentle skeletization of the veins for the subsequent application of LVA. In 4 patients, the integrity of the recipient vein was damaged during lymph node dissection and restored microsurgically. No surgical complications were observed. The average duration of lymphorrhea in the postoperative period was 2.3 days (without LVA 13.9 days). Conclusions: The preventive microsurgical technique for restoring lymph drainage from the upper limb has a number of technical limitations, requires special training and microsurgical equipment. Nevertheless, the technique is safe, feasible and effective in the early postoperative period. The application of LVA led to a significant decrease in lymphorrhea in the postoperative period, a reduction in hospital stay, but an increase in the duration of the operation. Longer follow-up is required to assess the overall effect of LVA on the incidence of lymphedema. Citation Format: Vladimir Vorotnikov, Alexander Soynov, Alexander Soynov, Regina Pakhomova, Alexandra Gugnina, Sardor Abdugafforov, Sofia Kim, Tornike Mchedlidze. Preventive Microsurgery in Breast Cancer Treatment [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO1-28-05.