Endsoscopic Thorasic Sympathectomy

In order to treat hyperhidrosis, the surgeon must clip or divide the overactive sympathetic nerve chain at the level of the T2 ganglia.

Thanks to developments in the field of endoscopic surgery, which uses small instruments and cameras that allow the surgeon to enter the body with miniscule incisions, the procedure can be performed with minor discomfort. The operation is performed on an out-patient basis by placing the patient under general anesthesia throughout the surgery, which lasts about an hour. Most patients can walk out of the medical center within 2 hours after surgery. Regular physical activity and return to work are possible within one week or less.

Not eligible for this surgery if you suffer from severe cardio-respiratory illness, pleural disease or untreated thyroid diseases.

Endoscopic thorasic sympathectomy surgery side affects: What are the side effects? There are several side effects. Compensatory sweating (CS) is the most bothersome. Compensatory Sweating expresses itself as excessive sweating on the back, abdomen, thighs and/or lower legs. This should be expected to a certain degree in all patients. It ranges from mild to severe. Some will experience more severe Compensatory Sweating, up to 5% of those operated on. However most patients say that they are not troubled by this extra perspiration and it is preferable to sweaty palms. A short time after the operation, 3-1/2 to 4 days, some patients will have a temporary recurrence of sweating on their palms, yet this is a short-lived phenomenon that might last for half a day. Gustatory sweating, another side effect which occurs in about 2% of cases has appeared with some patients. This condition in which patients notice that they tend to have increase sweating while eating or smelling certain foods, develops in rare instances. Please read more about the side effects and discuss it with your surgeon.

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