L S C
Lymphoedema Support Clinic
Donna Bastin
The early detection of subclinical lymphoedema with early intervention,
greatly reduces the risk of developing lymphoedema and substantially improves quality of life.
Lymphoedema Monitoring Programme
Early detection and early intervention
The Lymphoedema Monitoring Programme
has been developed to support patients who have either just received a diagnosis of cancer and are awaiting treatment, or patients who have received treatment and are anxious about the potential ongoing risks of developing lymphoedema.
The programme will include measuring of patient limbs to provide baseline measurements for future reviews, education on lymphoedema, how to minimise the risks of triggering lymphoedema and what signs to look out for.
Regular ongoing reviews with the SOZO device and L-Dex body composition analysis will ensure that any change in fluid volume, and an increased L-Dex score of 6.5 or more over baseline, indicating the lymphatics are struggling to transport the lymph, will be captured and a treatment plan for compression quickly put in place.
The L-Dex® Score explained
ImpediMed devices incorporate
L-Dex technology and bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) to measure and monitor fluid status non-invasively, easily, quickly and accurately.
The L-Dex score represents the difference in the amount of extracellular fluid in an at-risk limb compared to an unaffected limb.
If you are concerned about the risk of developing cancer related lymphoedema,
please contact me to arrange an appointment.
Signs & Symptoms
You may experience one or all of the following in early onset lymphoedema.
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Swelling - You may feel the swelling before you see it and it may fluctuate between areas.
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You may also notice new indentations from clothing i.e. your bra strap, watch or jewellery.
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The usual bony areas we have around our wrist joints or knuckle areas may seem less pronounced than normal.
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Heaviness - The limb feels heavy or looks heavy.
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Tightness - The skin feels tighter and tense. It may feel different to usual.
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Pins & needles - (not to be confused with peripheral neuropathy which you may experience during chemotherapy which presents to either the fingers or toes on both sides), this is not a common sensation but feels like a light tingling sensation.
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Ache - This is a dull ache, much like toothache, but is not pain. (Please consult your oncologist if you have pain as you may require further investigations).