Articles

EFFECTIVENESS OF ULTRASOUND-GUIDED STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK FOR BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING LYMPHOVENOUS ANASTOMOSIS: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, AND CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY

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Abstract

Lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA) and stellate ganglion block (SGB) have been reported as effective treatments for breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). However, no studies have evaluated the efficacy of ultrasound-guided SGB in patients undergoing LVA. This study aimed to assess whether adding SGB to LVA improves outcomes in BCRL patients. Thirty BCRL patients were randomly assigned to either the control (LVA only, n = 15) or SGB group (n = 15). The SGB group received ultrasound-guided SGBs at 2 days, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks postoperatively. Arm circumferences were measured at four points (5 cm and 10 cm above and below the elbow) at baseline and at 1-, 3-, and 6-months post-surgery. Treatment-related variables were also analyzed to identify potential predictors of success. Repeated-measures analysis of variance showed no significant differences in circumferential changes between groups over time, although a decreasing trend was ob-served within groups. However, significant reductions in circumferential differences compared with baseline were observed at several measurement sites in the SGB group.Logistic regression analysis revealed no significant predictors of treatment success. In conclusion, ultrasound-guided SGB performed postoperatively may enhance the therapeutic effect of LVA in BCRL, further reducing arm circumferential differences.

Keywords: Anastomosis, Surgical, Breast cancer lymphedema, Stellate ganglion, Sympathetic nerve block, Ultrasonography, Interventional, Upper extremity

How to Cite:

Kang, B., Lee, Y., Beak, M., Lee, S., Woo, K. & Kim, W., (2026) “EFFECTIVENESS OF ULTRASOUND-GUIDED STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK FOR BREAST CANCER-RELATED LYMPHEDEMA PATIENTS UNDERGOING LYMPHOVENOUS ANASTOMOSIS: A PROSPECTIVE, RANDOMIZED, AND CONTROLLED PILOT STUDY”, Lymphology 59(1), 1-12. doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/lymph.10728