The Gastroepiploic Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer in the Treatment of Male Genital Lymphedema: A Report of Three Cases

Abstract

Male genital lymphedema (MGL) is a debilitating condition that may require surgical intervention. Lymphaticovenous anastomosis (LVA) can be ineffective in primary and advanced cases because of lymphatic disruption, whereas vascularized lymph node transfer (VLNT) can overcome this limitation by promoting neolymphangiogenesis but traditionally carries some risk of donor site complications. Gastroepiploic vascularized lymph node transfer (GEVLNT) has recently emerged as an effective treatment option for upper and lower limb lymphedema, with negligible complications. However, its role in genital lymphedema remains unexplored. This is the first short series reporting the use of GEVLNT in MGL. Three male patients (44, 61, and 52 years old) with GL underwent GEVLNT. The first patient had idiopathic disease, which relapsed after previous treatment with LVA; the other two had secondary lymphedema due to cancer treatment and hydrocele surgery, respectively. In all patients, the right gastroepiploic lymphosome was harvested laparoscopically, with flap sizes of 14 × 5 cm, 15 × 4 cm, and 12 × 4 cm, respectively. The recipient vessels were the deep inferior epigastric artery and vein in the first case, and the superficial external pudendal vessels in the other two. Post-operative courses were uneventful for all patients, with no complications reported. Follow-up periods were 36, 23, and 12 months, respectively. In all cases, GEVLNT resulted in significant clinical improvements and reductions in genital lymphedema severity (GLS) scores (7–1, 9–4, and 8–4). Our preliminary experience suggests that GEVLNT could be a viable and effective option for treating male genital lymphedema with minimal donor site morbidity and stable results over time. However, further research with larger patient cohorts, comparative studies, and long-term follow-up is needed to fully establish its efficacy.