[Preventing lymphoedema after breast cancer surgery by elastic restraint orthotic and manual lymphatic drainage: a randomized clinical trial].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Secondary lymphoedema is considered one of the most common complications after breast cancer surgery. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effectiveness of containment elastic orthosis and manual lymphatic drainage in the prevention of lymphoedema secondary to mastectomy. PATIENTS AND METHOD An experimental study was performed with a control group. Forty-eight patients were randomly assigned to experimental (containment elastic orthosis and manual lymphatic drainage) and control (postural measures) groups. Outcomes measures were quality of life, body composition, temperature, functional assessment of the shoulder, pain and limb volume. Measures were performed at baseline and after 8-months intervention. RESULTS After the intervention period, the experimental group showed significant differences (P<.05) in the quality of life, extracellular water, and functional assessment of the volume of the limb of the mastectomized side. CONCLUSIONS The application of containment elastic orthosis and manual lymphatic drainage contribute to prevent secondary lymphoedema after breast cancer surgery, improving the quality of life in these patients.