The quality of life and satisfaction rate of patients with upper limb hyperhidrosis before and after bilateral endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy

Selective T3-T4 sympathicotomy versus gray ramicotomy on outcome and quality of life in hyperhidrosis patients: a randomized clinical trial

Compensatory hyperhidrosis is the leading cause of patients' dissatisfaction after thoracic sympathicotomy. The study aimed to reduce compensatory hyperhidrosis to increase patients’ satisfaction. A prospective randomized study on palmar hyperhidrosis, May 2016–September 2019. Twenty-one patients T₃–T₄ sympathicotomy and 21 T₃–T₄ gray ramicotomy. Data prospectively collected. Analysis at study's end. Focus on the sweating, temperature, quality of life baseline and postoperatively, compensatory hyperhidrosis, hand dryness, patients' satisfaction, and if they would undergo the procedure again and recommend it. No baseline differences between groups. Hyperhidrosis was controlled postoperatively in all patients. No mortality, serious complications, or recurrences. Sympathicotomy worse postoperative quality of life (49.05 (SD: 15.66, IR: 35.50–63.00) versus ramicotomy 24.30 (SD: 6.02, IR: 19.75–27.25). After ramicotomy, some residual sweating on the face, hands, and axillae. Compensatory sweating worse with sympathicotomy. Satisfaction higher with ramicotomy. Better results with ramicotomy than sympathicotomy regarding hand dryness, how many times a day the patients had to shower or change clothes, intention to undergo the procedure again or recommend it to somebody else, and how bothersome compensatory hyperhidrosis was. T₃–T₄ gray ramicotomy had better results than T₃–T₄ sympathicotomy, with less compensatory sweating and higher patients' satisfaction.

Uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic drainless sympathectomy for palmar and palmo-plantar hyperhidrosis: an institutional experience

Background

Primary hyperhidrosis (PH) still impacts negatively the patient’s quality of life (QoL). Progressively, it leads to poorer QoL regardless of gender. The endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy has been used safely and effectively for control of palmar hyperhidrosis, but it is still questionable in palmo-plantar type. We assessed the benefits of uniportal drainless thoracoscopic sympathectomy (UDTS) for palmo-plantar hyperhidrosis patients compared to palmar ones.

This prospective study comprised 213 consecutive patients with PH. They underwent bilateral simultaneous UDTS. We used the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) scoring system for assessment of QoL pre- and postoperatively. Follow-up was continued for 1-year that was aiming to detect the QoL improvement, recurrence, and compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH).

Results

All patients experienced immediate complete resolution of hyperhidrosis postoperatively. Recurrence was encountered in one patient during the first 6 months. All patients had improved QoL postoperatively, but at the end of 1-year follow-up, 2.8% of patients were still suffering moderate to severe impaired QoL. Mean hospital stay was 31.79 ± 17.5 h. We found significant longer hospital stay in palmar group than palmo-plantar group. There was no significant difference between both groups in neither operative time, recurrence, nor CH.

Conclusions

UDTS offers better QoL for patients with PH even the palmo-plantar type. The palmo-plantar type benefits similarly to the palmar type in terms of comparable postoperative QoL and CH incidence.