Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore creates awareness on lymphedema

Ganga Hospital in Coimbatore raises awareness on lymphedema, a swelling condition affecting arms and legs, through exhibition launch.

Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, on Monday launched an exhibition to create awareness on lymphedema, a type of swelling that generally affects arms and legs due to obstructions in the lymphatic system.

Kanagavalli Shanmuganathan, Managing Director of Ganga Hospital, launched the exhibition in the presence of S. Maruthu Thurai, State Program Manager of Tamil Nadu Accident and Emergency Care Initiative, National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, as part of observing the Lymphedema Awareness Week from March 4 to 10.

Dr. Thurai said the State government had been giving special thrust to deal with non-communicable diseases and creating awareness on conditions like lymphedema was the need of the hour.

Raja Sabapathy, Director of the Plastic, Hand and Reconstructive Microsurgery Department of Ganga Hospital, said lymphedema was mainly diagnosed in people who had undergone radiotherapy treatment for cancer.

“Lymphatic system is basically the body’s immune system that circulates lymph fluid arising from the blood vessels that contain proteins and white blood cells. During radiotherapy, the lymphatic channels get fibrosed and blocked, subsequently causing swelling,” he said.

The condition can also occur due to filariasis (disease arising due to a mosquito bite), trauma and sometimes due to congenital problems in which there are very less number of lymphatic channels. As the swelling in the limbs progresses, it becomes difficult for the patients to move their fingers, toes or feet and restriction of mobility prevents them from doing their normal work.

According to Dr. Raja Sabapath, lymphedema can be controlled if patients seek treatment at the appropriate time. Use of compression garments, physiotherapy and manual lymphatic drainage are non-surgical treatments done for early stage cases. Surgical intervention is done in case of advanced lymphedema and this includes procedures that bypass the blocked lymphatic system.