Hassall A, Graveline C, Hilliard P.
A retrospective study of the effects of Lymphapress pump on lymphedema in a
pediatric population.
Lymphology 2001 Dec;34(4):156-65

Department of Rehabilitation Services, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.

We studied the effects of the Lymphapress pump (LP; Global Medical Imports,
Digby, NS, Canada) retrospectively on 16 children with primary or secondary
lymphedema of the upper or lower extremities by measuring the volume and
circumference of the limbs before and after treatment. We reviewed medical charts
for data on age, sex, length of disease process, grade of lymphedema, frequency
and duration of treatment, and pump pressures used. We recorded changes in limb
size before and after pumping in terms of the mean percentage difference between
the affected and unaffected limb at both time points to allow for growth of the
child and the extremity. On volumetric measures, thirteen (93%) of the subjects
showed a clinical trend towards sustained maintenance or reduction in size of the
lymphedematous limb(s). The reduction in the pump pressure at start of the
treatment to that required to maintain the size of the limb was statistically
significant (p = 0.0036). Fourteen (88%) of the subjects had no complications
directly attributable to the pump, whereas two had complications that were
probably unrelated to LP. Overall, there was a clinical trend towards reduction
or maintenance of the lymphedematous limb size in children using LP without
notable adverse sequelae.