Lymph Vascular Reconstruction by Lymphatic Vessels

Treatment of cutaneous melanomas (CM) and non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) may need interference with regional lymph nodes. This interference may lead to a marked reduction of the lymphatic transport capacity which is dependent on the number of functioning lymphatic vessels. If the lymphatic transport capacity is lower than the lymphatic load, the amount of produced lymph which has to be cleared, lymphedema occurs [1]. Therefore, it is tried to reduce the amount of resected lymph nodes if possible. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) approach lowered the risks of harming the patient. However, lymphedema furthermore occurs and does not change in cases of a radical lymph node resection (see Chaps. 24, 26, and 27).