Lymphoedema is a chronic, usually incurable, condition that blights the lives of many cancer survivors. For some patients, it may occur spontaneously. 

At St Andrew's Centre for Burns and Plastic Surgery, Chelmsford, we are pioneering new surgical techniques to try and reconstruct lymphatic vessels damaged by cancer surgery or radiotherapy. 

Assessing the volume of affected limbs is vital but time consuming and prone to error using a simple tape measure to take circumference measurements at 4cm intervals. A 'Perometer' is an electronic device that can rapidly and accurately scan limb volumes, improving data collection and reducing appointment times in clinic.