Q. I had prostate surgery in December 2007. Almost immediately my legs began to swell and have swollen ever since. There are times when it is worse than others. Is this a common thing? And is there any procedure that can take care of this problem which has been called "lymphedema"?
--Louis R.
A. It’s hard to know how to treat the lymphedema without without more
information. However, that being said, lymphedema is abnormal (assuming that there is no other cause). It’s especially unusual to have significant lymphedema two years after a radical prostatectomy. If a patient has it, he probably had an extended lymph node dissection. This by itself is not a common part of the procedure and more information would be needed. Most lymph node dissections are very limited when they are done. Slight lymphedema in the immediate post operative few weeks is not uncommon. Significant lymphedema should be evaluated by your physician to look for potential causes of the lymphedema.
--Dr. David Kauder, M.D. - Medical Consultant, Conquer Prostate Cancer
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