What if you could predict the outcome of surgery (endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy or ETS) before undergoing the actual procedure. For those that might be contemplating a surgical option for their excessive sweating condition, being able to predict its outcome would certainly help decide whether surgery is the way to go. One of the underlying problems that plagues surgery is the real possibility of ending up with compensatory sweating. This effect is a relatively frequent adverse event associated surgery (see blog dated March 23rd, 2013). |
A recently published Australian study provides a pretty good idea of what factors are most likely to predict best outcomes following surgery. Over 200 individuals that underwent ETS were questioned with regards to level of satisfaction, symptom resolution and complications encountered. Over 90% of palmar and facial/scalp hyperhidrosis demonstrated the greatest degree of symptom relief. This compares with about 70% for axillary hyperhidrosis. |
Bottom line, according to this study, if you are contemplating ETS, your best odds of satisfaction are associated with young age and if you have palmar hyperhidrosis.