Thank you for joining us at the

2023 National Lymphedema Conference

Thank you to all our attendees, presenters, sponsors and exhibitors who participated at the 2023 National Lymphedema Conference.

We were thrilled to have such a diverse group of individuals come together to share their knowledge and experience in the field of lymphedema. The conference was filled with informative sessions, engaging discussions, and valuable networking opportunities. If you attended, we hope that you were able to make meaningful connections, learn something new about the latest research and advancements, and gain new perspectives on lymphedema treatment, care, and management.

We also want to extend a special thank you to our keynote speakers Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer and Dr. Céline Koryzma who inspired us with their personal stories and expertise. Thanks to our sponsors, our industry-sponsored speakers and to our 31 exhibitors whose contributions helped to make the 2023 conference a truly memorable event.

As we wrap up this year's conference, we encourage you to take the knowledge and insights you gained and apply them to your daily practice. Let us continue to work together to improve the lives of those affected by lymphedema.

Thank you again for your participation and we look forward to seeing you again in 2025!

In-Person Attendees

Our 2-day conference was attended by just over 300 attendees from across Canada, the United States, Germany, Belgium, and South Korea. We welcomed patients, healthcare professionals, researchers, and industry representatives.

Watch for a review of the conference in the upcoming Winter issue of Pathways.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now for print and digital access.

Topics Discussed

A variety of topics relating to lymphedema were presented in our keynote addresses, breakout session presentations, oral and poster abstracts, workshops, and panel discussions. Topics included: obesity and weight management, mindfulness and health behaviour change, surgery, skin changes, wounds, foot care, lipedema, risk reduction, aqua lymphatic therapy, yin yoga, compression and garment fitting, sexuality and body acceptance, and international perspectives.

Obesity and Lymphedema

Dr. Denise Campbell-Scherer's focus is on improving primary care for people living with obesity. Her keynote drew from her experience serving on the Executive Committee for the Canadian Adult Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines, where she co-authored the chapter on Primary Care and Primary Healthcare. Dr. Campbell-Scherer also presented a workshop on The 5As Team approach to holistic obesity assessment and management. You can learn more and find resources in the 5AsT Toolkit here.

Mindfulness and

Self-Compassion

Dr. Céline Koryzma is a clinical health psychologist who specializes in motivating patients to make meaningful and sustainable health behaviour changes with relationship-centred care. Dr. Koryzma's keynote and interactive workshop included information on how health professionals can adapt their approaches to each individual patient to better understand and help them meet their needs, reach their goals, and overcome their struggles.

Surgical Panel

Audience feedback has been tremendous for our panel presentation on the surgical management of lymphedema. Dr. Benoît Cartier, Dr. Andrew Simpson, Dr. Siba Haykal, and Dr. Claire Temple-Oberle enlightened attendees on surgical techniques available for lymphedema, patient selection and staging related to surgical techniques, and exploring preventative surgical techniques. 

Patient-Focused Sessions

Our patient stream featured movement workshops on aqua lymphatic therapy and yin yoga for upper and lower body in addition to workshops for those who have been newly diagnosed with lymphedema and interactive sessions for patients to share their experiences living with lymphedema and what they wish they had known sooner throughout their journey.

New ILA Recommendations for Diagnosis of Lipedema

Lipedema remains an under-researched condition. How to diagnose this condition was the topic considered by a 2022 Working Group of the International Lipoedema Association (ILA). The Working Group's final recommendations, supported by the ILA Board, were presented by Dr. Anna Towers at the 2023 National Lymphedema Conference. You can learn more and find related resources by clicking the image above or this link.

Poster Abstract Awards:

Amanda Sobey and

Sara Sheikh-Oleslami

Congratulations to Sara Sheikh-Oleslami (Right) for winning the award for Best Poster Abstract as selected by the Scientific Committee. In addition, we would like to congratulate Sara and Amanda Sobey (Left) for winning the People's Choice Award for Best Poster.

You can view the Abstracts Booklet here.

Grand Prize Winner of a trip to the 2025 ILF Conference

in Canada: Geneviève St-Hilaire

Congratulations to Geneviève for winning our Conference grand prize draw by participating in our Exhibit Hall discovery activity! Geneviève won registration, accommodation and travel support to attend the 2025 International Lymphoedema Conference.

2025 International Lymphedema Conference

to take place in Canada

The CLF is pleased to announce that we will be partnering with the International Lymphoedema Framework for the 2025 International Lymphoedema Conference.

More details coming soon...

Canadian Lymphedema Framework GivingTuesday Campaign

GivingTuesday is the world’s largest generosity movement.

In Canada, lymphedema impacts over 1 million people with no cure and limited access to diagnosis and treatment. Many medical professionals simply do not have the tools or knowledge to support lymphedema patients.

You can help us as we work to improve this situation. Since our launch in 2009, the Canadian Lymphedema Framework, in partnership with our provincial lymphedema organizations, has been instrumental in sharing the latest in research and education. We have launched Pathways, Canada’s national lymphedema magazine, hosted seven national conferences in Canada, and have taken a leadership role in defining and promoting lymphedema education for healthcare professionals and patients through a collaborative partnership with the University of Alberta and Mitacs to deliver online education for health professionals, through the development of our Physician Education Card, our HP Toolkit and consensus documents, and by developing printed materials for distribution to healthcare offices, facilities, and clinics.

This work is ongoing, and we rely on the support of generous donors like you to continue this important part of our mission. On GivingTuesday, November 28th, please consider a donation to the CLF. Each dollar donated will bring us one step closer to our Education Fund fundraising goal of $10,000 to develop and print new educational materials for complimentary distribution to healthcare providers and lymphedema patients in Canada.

Every dollar makes a difference.

Thank you for supporting the CLF and our Education Fund.

(c) 2023 Canadian Lymphedema Framework | Website