Effects of high-voltage electrical stimulation in postmastectomy bilateral lymphedema: case report

Abstract

Mastectomy, the surgical breast cancer treatment, may lead to several
complications among which lymphedema in the same-side limb; also, in several cases bilateral mastectomy is needed. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of pulsed high-voltage electrical stimulation (ES) in reducing upper limb lymphedema in patients submitted to bilateral mastectomy. Such was the case of the three volunteers, aged 47, 52, and 54, who took part in this study. Treatment consisted in ES 20-minute sessions during 7 weeks, in a total of 14 sessions. Limb circumference (at 6 points) and limb volume (via water displacement) were measured at the 1st and 14th sessions. Reduction of lymphedema in all limbs show the effectiveness of the treatment proposed. Furthermore, volunteers reported on general clinical condition improvement, linked to reduction in the feeling of limb weight and to mobility increase.