PURPOSE- Analyzing the effectiveness of compression pumps in treating lymphedema symptoms and their physical, psychosocial, and functional concerns.

 

METHODS-

 

• Patients in California's Central Valley at 6 surgical clinics with lymphedema were surveyed to access their mobility, physical, psychosocial, and functional concerns. 

• Pre and Post-surveys were completed via telephone by the research assistants.

• Physical, psychosocial, and functional concerns were investigated using the Likert scale.

• BMI was collected through the Epic Charting System.

• Statistical analyses was performed using JASP Software (JASP Team, University of Amsterdam).

• The statistical tests conducted to find the statistical difference include paired difference t-tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Mann-Whitney U Test, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test

 

RESULTS-

 

• 55 patients aged between 30-82 years with lymphedema completed the surveys- 30.9%males, 69.1% females, 69.1% Hispanics, 16.4% Caucasians, 43.64% had hypertension, and 49.0% had obesity.

• The BMI ranges from 23.61 to 58.53, and the average BMI for the participants was 37.9±9.34.

• Patients were diagnosed with lymphedema at an average age of 47 and had been utilizing the compression pump for 15 months.

• Improvement in their mobility was observed after the use of the compression pump (x¯= 2.05, d=1.4 vs x¯= 2.85, d= 1.2, p<0.05).

• Out of 55 patients, 31.25% observed a change in their weight after compression pump use.

• Patients had improved subjective feelings toward their physical, psychosocial, and functional concerns:

• leg swelling (x¯=3.5, d=1.3 vs  x¯=2.3, d=1.2, p<0.05)

• leg pain (x¯=3.5, d=1.3 vs x¯=2.1, d= 1.1 p<0.001)

• heaviness (x¯=3.6, d=1.2  vs  x¯=2.3, d=1.1, p<0.001)

• body image (x¯=3.0, d=1.6  vs  x¯=2.3, d=1.3, p<0.01)

•  socializing (x¯=2.6, d=1.4  vs  x¯=1.9, d=1.3 p<0.001)

• mobility (x¯=3.1 d=1.6  vs  x¯=2.0, d=1.2 p<0.001)

• Both the Hispanic and Caucasian groups showed an overall significant improvement in their physical, psychosocial, and functional symptoms after compression pump use (p<0.05).

  CONCLUSION

  Compression pumps were shown to significantly improve lymphedema symptoms and had improved subjective feelings toward their physical, psychosocial, functional concerns, and mobility.