Modified Charles operation for primary fibrosclerotic lymphedema.

Radical excision of lymphedematous tissue with skin grafting (Charles operation) may be required for patients with advanced fibrosclerotic lower extremity lymphedema. Complications of this procedure include papillomatosis, wart formation, intractable skin ulcerations and weeping of lymph and are often considered major drawbacks of the operation. We have largely circumvented these sequelae by buryi…