SOZO and Bioimpedance
Cancer Rehabilitation & Lymphatic Solutions has been an early adopter of Impedimed’s Bioimpedence (BIS) unit, the SOZO, since 2017 in the Early Detection and Monitory for Breast Cancer Related Lymphoedema (BCRL), and other cancer related lymphoedema symptoms.
The recommended protocol, and gold standard of care, is to complete a baseline Lymphoedema Index (LDex) reading of a healthy at risk limb prior to cancer treatment commencing. This includes Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (chemotherapy prior to surgery). The risk of developing cancer related lymphoedema will vary dependent on the extent of planned treatment for cancer, including surgery, removal of lymph nodes, chemotherapy, and/or radiotherapy.
An increase of 6.5 units from the baseline LDex score is indicative of the early development of lymphoedema symptoms (sub-clinical stage), which are not identifiable by physical signs or symptoms alone. Early detection enables the practitioner to implement preventative strategies, including garment prescription, exercise, and self-management techniques, to potentially reverse symptoms or prevent symptoms from advancing to Stage 1.
How does the SOZO work?
There are electrodes under the handplates and footplates, which sends 256 slow electric currents through the body (as the patient stands on the SOZO unit), to differentiate between the fluid inside your cells (intracellular fluid), and the fluid outside your cells (extracellular fluid), of the whole body. The focus is on the level of extracellular fluid within the interstitium of the at-risk limb. The LDex score is calculated as a ratio of the Resistance Ohms values between the at-risk limb and the control (non-at-risk) limb.
An LDex reading can also be used to measure the outcomes of treatment for existing lymphoedema symptoms in upper limbs and lower limbs.
Please contact Cancer Rehabilitation & Lymphatic Solutions on 02 4312 7033 to book your LDex measurement.
