Go with the (Lymph) Flow?

My inspiration for a career in lymphatics came from two sources: the first was a visit to the Foeldi clinic and the second was a visit to Professor Fredi Bollinger’s angiology lab in Zurich. These back to back visits in 1984 gave me insight into the best practice in lymphoedema treatment at the time as well as state of the art research techniques. On my return, I unashamedly introduced the Foeldi principles of lymphoedema treatment to the UK. I also set about setting up Fluorescence microlymphangiography in my new lab. Also present during my visit to Zurich was Hugo Partsch who, as a fellow dermatologist, has been very influential ever since as a role model, mentor and friend.

The idiom ‘go with the flow’ means go with the prevailing attitude or do what the majority are doing even if you disagree. There is an implication one does not really believe it is necessarily the right thing to do but it is the easiest thing to do. There is a tendency currently with interstitial fluid dynamics to ‘go with the flow’ despite overwhelming scientific evidence that the accepted direction of flow is actually incorrect. As a result, the lymphatic system has been underestimated in its importance for the understanding and treatment of peripheral oedema.

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