Supraclavicular lymph node transplant: a focus on technique

Abstract

Physiologic surgical options, including vascularized lymph node transplant and lymphovenous bypass are becoming increasingly popular interventions for the treatment of lymphedema of both the upper and lower extremities. Many different lymph node donor sites have been described, including submental, lateral thoracic, superficial groin, supraclavicular, and various intraabdominal sites. This paper describes a step-by-step approach to the harvest of vascularized lymph nodes from the supraclavicular area, which is the preferred donor site for most patients with both upper and lower extremity lymphedema.