BACKGROUND: Complete decongestive therapy (CDT) and intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) are the most common combination of treatments in breast cancer-related upper limb lymphedema. The effects of IPC as an addition to CDT are inconsistent in different studies. This meta-analysis aimed to explore whether IPC could bring additional benefits to CDT. METHODS: Literatures were retrieved from databases with full-text publications ranging from January 1995 to March 2024. Fixed-effect models were applied to subsequent analysis if no heterogeneity was detected by using the Inverse formula. Publication bias was assessed using the Begg's test and Eagger's test. RESULTS: Twelve studies were finally included for further analysis. Results showed that additional application of IPC to CDT could further improve lymphedema within 4 weeks after the treatment period (standard mean difference (SMD) -0.2 mL, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.33 to -0.07 mL). However, this additional benefit was weakened within about 9.4 +/- 2.6 weeks' follow-up duration after ceasing physical therapy (SMD -0.15 mL, 95% CI -0.33 to 0.04 mL). CONCLUSIONS: Periodically continuous treatment should be suggested to maintain the effect of CDT plus IPC to promote lymph drainage and lymphedema improvement. Nonetheless, the treatment involved in the studies ranged from 4 to 12 weeks, therefore potential bias might exist.

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