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Thoracic sympathetic nerve reconstruction for compensatory hyperhidrosis: the Melbourne technique
Hye-Sung Park1, Chris Hensman1, James Leong1
11 Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Monash Health, Melbourne, Australia ; 2 LapSurgery Australia, Melbourne, Australia.
Annals of Translational Medicine
|October 22, 2014
Summary
The Melbourne technique offers a promising new surgical approach for treating compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) after endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS). This novel method shows potential for improving quality of life in patients with severe CH.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Thoracic Surgery
- Dermatology
Background:
- Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) is a common complication after endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) for primary hyperhidrosis.
- CH significantly impacts quality of life, with limited effective treatment options.
- Existing surgical reversal techniques for CH have yielded inconsistent results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report on the efficacy of a novel surgical technique, the Melbourne technique, for treating severe CH.
- To evaluate the long-term outcomes of the Melbourne technique in two patients.
Main Methods:
- The Melbourne technique involves an endoscopic approach to the thoracic sympathetic chains.
- An autogenous vein graft was used as a nerve conduit to bridge the defect after neuroma excision.
- Outcomes were assessed using validated quality of life questionnaires (DLQI, QoL).
Main Results:
- Both patients experienced postoperative improvements in quality of life scores.
- One patient showed a more significant improvement than the other.
- No major immediate or long-term complications were observed.
Conclusions:
- The Melbourne technique demonstrates potential as an alternative surgical option for CH.
- It may be a viable alternative to interpositional nerve grafts or nerve transfers in CH reversal surgery.
