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Lymphoedema
Outpatients
Information about outpatient clinics for the assessment and management of patients with confirmed or suspected diagnosis of lymphoedema.
The Department will periodically contact patients waiting for an outpatient clinic appointment via SMS, with a link to an electronic form. This is part of routine waitlist auditing to ensure patient details are up to date. If you receive this SMS, please update your details.
Availability
Emergency care
If you, or someone else, are experiencing a serious and life-threatening injury or illness call triple zero (000) immediately or go to the nearest Emergency Department.
Learn more about when to access emergency care and non-emergency care options if the injury or illness is not serious or life-threatening.
Scope
North and North West
Does not offer a stand-alone clinic. Services are provided through their Physiotherapy Outpatient Clinics.
South
Service provided:
- Education and coaching with a focus on self-management strategies
- Advice on modifying activities to minimise the impact of lymphoedema. Complex Decongestive Therapy (CDT) including combinations of education, skin care recommendations, exercise recommendations, manual lymphatic drainage, multi-layer lymphatic bandaging, garment prescription as prescribed by the treating therapist
- Prescription and fitting of appropriate garments for the management of lymphoedema: Costs apply; Patients may be eligible for financial support through Tasmanian Lymphoedema Garment Scheme.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Please see Additional Information section below.
Referral process
Referrals need sufficient information to allow triage and act as a clinical handover and must conform to the referral standard.
eReferral is now the preferred method of referral for this service and is available in All regions. Please refer via HealthLink SmartForm eReferral through your software system (either Best Practice, or Medical Director). For instructions, see the creating an eReferral quick guide.
Appointments are based on clinical priority. Waiting lists apply.
Where available, eReferral via HealthLink smart forms is now the preferred and only secure method of referral to the Tasmanian Department of Health.
Additional information
Inclusion criteria
Patients must have a confirmed, or reasonably suspected, diagnosis of lymphoedema.
In addition, patients must have at least one of the following criteria:
- Surgery with lymph node dissection/removal (including sentinel node biopsy)
- Radiation therapy to lymph nodes
- Advanced cancer with metastases to lymph nodes
- Onset of oedema immediately following Taxane chemotherapy
- Congenital malformation of the lymphatic system. For example:
- Diagnosed Noone-Milroy's disease
- Diagnosed Meige's Disease
- Diagnosed lipoedema
- Lymphatic obstruction caused by trauma
- Diagnosed lymphatic filariasis
- Secondary or acquired lymphoedema resulting from damage to the lymphatic vessels and/or lymph nodes.
Exclusion criteria
For patients with the following conditions, lymphoedema treatment may be contraindicated and referral to another services may be more appropriate:
- Arterial ulcers or oedema with arterial disease (abnormal Ankle Brachial Pressure Index)
- Oedema caused by cardiac failure
- Acute oedema caused by cellulitis (in absence of above mentioned eligibility criteria)
- Management of DVT and/or post thrombotic syndrome (in absence of above mentioned eligibility criteria)
Compression garments
Patients requiring compression garment for vascular conditions should be referred to local medical supply store with relevant off the shelf prescription (stocking type and pressure recommended).
For more information please see the Tasmanian Health Pathways website.
