Mechanism of the improvement of lymphedema with the lymph node transfer

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We developed the new lymph node transfer method using mouse hind limb model, in which we transferred the axillary lymph node to the popliteal space at the opposite side after the lymph node removal. Compared to control group, earlier improvement of lymphedema was observed in the lymph node transfer group.We analyzed the mechanism of the improvement of lymphedema with the lymph node transfer, with fluorescence lymphatic imaging using indocyanine green and PDE system equipped with a charge-coupled device camera as a fluorescence detector. In the lymph node transfer group, formation of the collateral pathway and the transferred lymph node take were observed. This result supports the hypothesis that the lymph node transfer can improve lymphedema by increasing the lymphatic flow.