Clinical Evaluation of Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy in Hyperhidrosis

Oh, Wan Soo; Kang, Jeong Kweon; Yon, Jun Heum; Kim, Jeong Won; Hong, Kee hyek

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Essential hyperhidrosis is a condition with excessive sweating, which may be localized in any parts of the body. Thoracic sympathectomy has been a surgical procedure for the management of hyperhidrosis.
METHODS
We studied 30 ASA I and II patients suffering from severe hyperhidrosis. Bilateral upper thoracoscopic sympathectomy of T2-4 was performed in 30 patients under general anesthesia. Anesthesia was induced with 2.5% thiopental sodium 5 mg/kg and succinylcholine chloride 1 mg/kg and was maintained with enflurane 1-2 Vo1% and N2O-O mixture adjusted to maintain SpO2 greater than 96%. During anesthesia, invasive arterial pressure, heart rate, EKG, SpO2 and capnography were monitored. Skin temperature was measured with thermister probes attached to the index finger of each hand. An increase in temperature after cautery confirmed success of the sympathectomy.
RESULTS
There were 14 men and 16 women whose ages ranged from 16 to 46 years old (mean age 22.2). Of these patients, 13 patients had complained of palm-sole hyperhidrosis, 9 of palm-sole-axilla hyperhidrosis, 4 of palm-sole-face hyperhidrosis and 4 of palm-sole-axilla-face hyperhidrosis. The provocative factors of excessive sweating were tension and stress from interpersonal relationships. There was positive familial history in 37%. The most common complication was compensatory hyperhidrosis in 23 patients comprising 76%. Other complications included peumothorax (4 patients), hemothorax (1 patient), ipsilateral Homer's syndrome (1 patient) and paresthesia of right arm (1 patient). The degree of satisfaction was graded as good, fair and poor with 15, 12 and 3 patients, respectively
CONCLUSIONS
Thoracoscopic sympathectomy with VATS is an efficient, safe and minimally invasive surgical procedure for essential hyperhidrosis.