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Predictive procedure for compensatory hyperhidrosis before sympathectomy: preliminary findings
Jin Yong Jeong1, Hyung Joo Park2, Jae Kil Park2
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Incheon St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
Objective:
Compensatory hyperhidrosis is one of the most common and serious adverse effects following sympathectomy. We performed a local anesthetic procedure that predicts the occurrence and severity of compensatory hyperhidrosis, and evaluated the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of the procedure.
Methods And Methods:
From July 2009 to July 2010, 20 patients with severe primary palmar hyperhidrosis underwent predictive procedures. A sympathetic nerve block was obtained via thoracoscopic approach under local anesthesia. The patients were evaluated for compensatory hyperhidrosis 1 week after the procedure before deciding whether to proceed with sympathectomy.
Results:
Of the 20 patients, 17 patients proceeded with sympathectomy and 3 refused the final procedure. Following sympathectomy, the occurrence and severity of compensatory hyperhidrosis in the remaining 17 patients were statistically analyzed with two tailed paired t test, and there is no significant difference between the predictive and final procedures (t = 1.69, df = 16, p > 0.1).
Conclusion:
Predictive procedure using local anesthesia to detect compensatory hyperhidrosis before sympathectomy may be useful for helping patients to decide whether to undergo the operation.
