Leg Lymphedema and Compression Stockings
Women undergoing treatment for vulvar cancer often experience the unpleasant side effect of lymphedema. In a December 2009 study, researchers from the United Kingdom suggest that using compression stockings can help alleviate leg lymphedema.
Lymphedema is severe swelling that occurs due to a blockage in the lymphatic system, part of the immune and circulatory system’s network of vessels that help remove fluids from the body. Because removing cancer from the vulvar area often requires removal of lymph vessels, too, fluid can’t drain properly, and accumulates in the body, causing significant swelling in an arm or leg.
A small study conducted at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom reported that evaluated whether women who’d undergone surgery for vulvar cancer experienced less leg lymphedema if they wore compression stockings.
Compared to women who didn’t wear the stockings, women who wore stockings after vulvar surgery had less fluid volume in their legs and had fewer symptoms of leg problems. The study, published in the International Journal of Gynecological Cancer, did not find that compression stockings affected the rates of wound healing.
Because of their study findings, the researchers concluded that using compression wear may be effective for reducing leg lymphedema in women who require vulvar surgery, although they say that more studies are needed to make specific conclusions.
Compression choices for leg lymphedema:
Will you be undergoing surgery for vulvar cancer? Using support stockings as a preventive measure may be one way to reduce your risk of leg lymphedema. Talk to your doctor about what level of compression you might require. Some name brand stockings often used to alleviate lymphedema include Mediven, Sigvaris, Juzo, and Jobst.