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Treatment of social phobia by endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy
1Privatix Clinic, Tampere, Finland. timo@privatix.fi
Objective:
To analyse the severity of various symptoms and the developmental life history in social phobia. To estimate the value of ETS in the treatment of chronic social phobia.
Design:
Prospective study.
Setting:
Clinic for Psychoneurology and Surgery in Tampere, Finland.
Subjects:
Consecutive series of patients (n = 51).
Interventions:
Endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy.
Main Outcome Measures:
Qualitative ideographic inquiry. Questionnaire of the symptom severity using visual analogue scale.
Results:
The life history included mental and physical abuse in 61%, paternal alcoholism in 26%. Four family subtypes were named: quarrelsome, cruel, alcoholic, and perfectionist. The pathognomonic symptoms of social phobia: hyperhidrosis, palpitation, blushing, tremor, and anxiety, were all highly significantly (p < 0.001) alleviated by ETS. 88% of the patients were satisfied with the result. There were no complications.
Conclusion:
ETS seems a promising alternative to conservative therapy for social phobia.