BioBridge® in Lymphatic Surgery

Despite the advances in physiological procedures for lymphedema management of the extremities (lymphovenous anastomosis and vascularized lymph node transfer), there are still limitations, or sometimes a plateau, in the volume reduction achieved in the affected limb. This may be further confounded by the presence of scar tissue from radiation or fibrotic changes, that necessitate additional procedures in conjunction with physiological procedures to facilitate improvement in edema management. Nanofibrillar collagen scaffolds are a novel and emerging application to support tissue regeneration that can be used as an adjunct in lymphedema management. This chapter reviews the proposed applications of a nanofibrillar porcine collagen scaffold in secondary lymphedema treatment as an adjunct to lymphovenous anastomosis.