Resympathectomy for palmar and axillary hyperhidrosis

The aim was to analyse patterns of failure or symptom recurrence after primary sympathectomy for palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis, and to carry out tactical problem-solving for resympathectomy and review the operative findings.

Over a 2-year period, 20 patients (six men and 14 women) underwent resympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis (13 patients, 20 sides) or axillary hyperhidrosis (seven patients, ten sides). T2-3 sympathectomy for palmar hyperhidrosis or T4-5 sympathectomy for axillary hyperhidrosis was performed during the repeat procedure. Criteria for evaluation by means of patient questionnaire included good (more than 80 per cent), fair (50-80 per cent) and poor (less than 50 per cent) improvement.

Operative findings included inadequate sympathectomy on 19 sides, nerve regeneration on eight sides and no evidence of previous sympathectomy on three sides. One patient had Kuntz fibre in addition to inadequate sympathectomy. In the palmar hyperhidrosis group, good results were obtained in all 13 patients on all 20 sides after resympathectomy. In the axillary hyperhidrosis group, six of seven patients, or eight of ten sides, showed good results after resympathectomy.

The main cause of primary sympathectomy failure was inadequate surgery, and recurrence of palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis was seldom caused by nerve regeneration. The key factor for preventing failed sympathectomy or recurrent palmar or axillary hyperhidrosis is a first-time sympathectomy that is both accurate and adequate. Most patients with recurrent symptoms can be cured by resympathectomy.