'I couldn't lift my arms without pain – now lifechanging surgery means I'm going on the holiday of a lifetime'
A woman who feared she would live with painful swelling for the rest of her life says a pioneering NHS operation in Leeds has given her a "new lease of life"
Emma Moulds thought the painful swelling in her arms would be something she would have to live with forever after breast cancer treatment.
The 38-year-old was forced to give up driving, stop riding her horses and overhaul her wardrobe after the fluid built up in her arms causing her to go up two sizes almost overnight.
But a pioneering NHS operation in Leeds has given Emma a "new lease of life" after living with the condition for two-and-a-half years and now she is looking forward to the holiday of a lifetime.
Simultaneous bilateral lympho-venous anastomosis (LVA) is a newly introduced surgical treatment available at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for patients with lymphoedema.
Lymphoedema causes chronic swelling, usually in the arms or legs due to fluid build-up and significantly reduces the severity of the swelling, allowing the patient to live a normal life.
Emma had the lymph nodes in her arms removed as part of treatment for breast cancer in 2023.
She said: “Having to deal with lymphoedema as well as my cancer treatment was incredibly difficult. Even normal day-to-day activities became a constant challenge.
“While my cancer treatment was looking successful, I realised I would have to manage symptoms of lymphoedema for the rest of my life – but this new surgery has completely turned things around.”
Lymphoedema is thought to affect around 400,000 people in the UK. It is a long-term condition that develops when the lymphatic system, which helps fight infection and remove excess fluid, does not work properly.
She said: “My arms swelled up and became heavy to move, and I went up two sizes almost overnight.
“Things I wouldn’t think twice about doing normally became incredibly difficult. I had to sell my car and get a smaller one, I needed a special desk chair to support my arms when I was working, and I couldn’t exercise because it was too painful.”
Following the surgery Emma was out of her bandages in two weeks, and after six weeks, her swelling had reduced considerably.
She said: “My wrists reduced in size by 4-5cm and I dropped three sizes – I had to get a full new wardrobe.
She added: “We’ve also booked to go to Florida this year.
“We went as a family back in 2024 but my arms swelled up even more in the sun, and I had to just sit and watch whilst everyone else had fun. Now I’ll be able join in with everything. The new treatment has been lifechanging.”
Mr Amr Elbatawy, Consultant Plastic Surgeon, said: “This is a really exciting development in what we can offer patients with lymphoedema in West Yorkshire.
“For patients like Emma, this procedure has the potential to make a profound difference in quality of life - reducing limb swelling, heaviness, and infection risk, while improving mobility and comfort in daily activities. It represents a significant advance in how patients can manage this challenging condition.