Lymphaticovenular anastomosis

Surgical connection of small lymphatic vessels directly to subdermal venules to provide physiological drainage in lymphedematous tissue. Performed under supermicrosurgical conditions.

Related terms

• Condition

  Lymphedema

  Chronic swelling of a limb caused by impaired lymphatic drainage, most commonly after lymph node removal or radiotherapy in the treatment of cancer.

• Procedure

  Vascularised lymph node transfer

  Transplantation of a small group of lymph nodes with their vascular pedicle (typically from the groin, supraclavicular fossa, or omentum) to a limb affected by lymphedema.

• Procedure

  Supermicrosurgery

  Microvascular surgery on vessels 0.8 mm in diameter or smaller, requiring specialised instruments, ultra-fine sutures, and additional training. Defined formally by the Barcelona consensus in 2014.

• Investigation

  Indocyanine green fluorescence angiography

  Use of an injected fluorescent dye, indocyanine green, viewed under near-infrared light to visualise blood and lymphatic flow in real time during surgery — used to assess flap perfusion and to map lymphatic vessels.

Articles mentioning this term

1. Expert blog · 9 May 2026

   Free tissue transfer: principles, applications, and current practice

   Conceptual overview of free flap surgery — what a free flap is, where the technique came from, the workhorse flaps, outcomes, and current directions.

2. Expert blog · 9 May 2026

   Wolne płaty

   Konceptualny przegląd chirurgii wolnego płata — czym jest, skąd pochodzi, płaty robocze, wyniki i kierunki rozwoju.

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