Reduction of Complications and Associated Costs with Flexitouch® Therapy for Lymphedema

ABSTRACT

Lymphedema is a chronic condition requiring multiple clinic visits over several weeks for costly treatment and education by a trained therapist, followed by lifelong in-home self-care. The self-care regimen can be physically and psychologically demanding and inadequate treatment can lead to progression of the lymphedema and serious complications. The patient described in this report was diligent with a home care program yet experienced difficulty controlling her lymphedema independently, necessitating a return to skilled therapy for repeated treatments. This case study describes the impact that an advanced pneumatic device, the Flexitouch® system, had on the costs of treatment and quality of life for a patient with lymphedema. Substantial long- and short-term cost reductions and quality-of-life gains may have been realized as the patient achieved successful maintenance of a home care program without any lymphedema-related complications or infections requiring hospitalization, antibiotic therapy, or in-clinic lymphedema therapy.