What kind of specialist should i seek if i have a lymphedema problem?

Depending on...: Where you live, either seeing a podiatrist or cardiologist who specializes in venous disease would be a good place to start. If it affects the lower legs, it could be from chronic venous insufficiency and not so much lymphedema. If you recently had surgery or a mastectomy from breast cancer, then lymphedema is the working problem. Treatment is compression with a pneumatic compression pump.

Several choices: There are several medical specialties that focus on lympedema. In order of frequency: vascular medicine specialist, vein specialist also called phlebologist , vascular surgeons, dermatology, cardiology and family practice focus on lymphedema in their practices. All of these specialties diagnose and treat lymphedema, but there is no single specialty that diagnosis or treats lymphedema.

Lymphedema treatment: There are few lymphedema specialists around but they do exist--usually at university hospital centers. Otherwise, the job gets done by phlebologists, vascular medicine specialists, vascular surgeons, some podiatrists, cardiologists, and internists. What is probably at least as important as the doctor you see is getting hooked into a lymphedema clinic and a good lymphedema therapist.