The majority of people who submit themselves to Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy or ETS are very desperate because of their hyperhidrosis condition. They have endured for years the socially disabling stigma of profuse hand perspiration or facial blushing. After undergoing the ETS procedure, most patients are commonly awed by the immediate relief from their condition. This positive relief has a tremendous and dramatic effect on the quality of their lives. Normal daily social interactions that were typically evaded are no longer stressful or anxiety provoking. The relief from profuse hand perspiration is instant and permanent.

Relief from plantar hyperhidrosis following the T3 sympathectomy procedure is very fast.  The results are also very satisfying for the patient. The decline in palmar perspiration is the same as with the T2 method. However it has been observed that the general approval rating of patients with severe palmar hyperhidrosis that undertake Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy or ETS is greater.

Surgical treatment for Hyperhidrosis disorders should always be considered only as a last resort. Although surgery outcomes are encouraging, there have been one too many unhappy endings out there to make for comfortable reading.

A favorable outcome depends on many factors. Factors such as the patient’s condition, the patient’s individual expectations after surgery, the skill of the surgeon, and the knowledge and communication efficiency between the patient and the physician are critical.

Up to now it is essential that anybody who is considering Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy or ETS surgery gather as much understanding about the process as possible.  The necessities and adverse effects of the surgery should be weighed properly and accordingly.  Potential patients should gain sufficient and specific information about their condition before deciding to put themselves under the knife. They must also take as much impartial advice as possible. Opinions by specialists and people who have undergone the surgery can prove to be invaluable. Discussion forums are very useful and helpful in shaping a good understanding of the disorder and its many treatments. Finally, the most important choice regards the surgeon who will perform the surgical procedure. The selection must be based on the surgeon’s experience and the favorable feedback by his or her patients.

In the past decades, operations to perform a sympathectomy have historically been performed in many different ways. One of the old methods is performed through the back, with resectioning of a piece of rib on both sides of the spine. Another procedure is made by using a chest incision or thoracotomy where the chest is opened up. A third procedure involves making an incision in the patient’s neck.

Recent advancements in sympathectomy is done via video-assisted or thoracoscopy procedure. This process has also been known as ETS or VATS surgery. Basically it is the same surgery or procedure. However, the surgeon may utilize different procedures. The thoracoscopic method gives the surgeon an easier access to the sympathetic chain. This procedure also gives the patient less pain and discomfort, and it also offers a faster recovery time. Since this surgery is an outpatient procedure, younger patients can now undertake this particular surgical method. The youngest patient that we have performed this surgery on was only 9 years old. The surgery was a success and there were no untoward reactions.

What used to entail a hospital stay of a number of days can today be accomplished on an outpatient basis. Most individuals who undergo the procedure can go home in just a few hours after the surgery. However, if you are coming in from out of state it is wise to plan ahead and set aside at least four days. This method is a thoracic surgical procedure.  As such, the surgeon would have to make sure that the patient is healing properly before allowing him or her to travel on an airplane. Abrupt changes in cabin pressure may have a negative effect on patients who undergo this surgery.

Surgical methods for hyperhidrosis have gotten much better in recent years.  The permanent cutting of nerves can now be replaced with clamping techniques. Clamping techniques may be reversible should the CS prove to be too serious. Some surgeons have developed a system that still involves sectioning or removing the relative nerves and ganglia causing hyperhidrosis. Surgeons who carry out this particular method claim a one hundred percent success rate surgically. They also claim to have much smaller rates of side effects as compared to surgeons who to use other methods. It is however very necessary that patients always make their own careful inquiries before agreeing to undergo any medical procedure.

Sweaty Palms are also known by their medical term, Palmar Hyperhidrosis . Profuse hand perspiration is by far the most common kind of hyperhidrosis. The term hypersympathetic activity is a more exact term for sweaty palms. This is because extreme perspiration is caused by the heightened activity in the sympathetic chain. The sympathetic chain is a part of the autonomic nervous system. This is situated inside the chest cavity and it doesn’t have anything to do with the motoric or sensory functions of our body.

Extreme hand perspiration can be very harsh and aggravating to the person with the disorder. This normally affects a person’s daily life and affects both fundamental functions and social interactions. In about forty percent of people that are afflicted with severe hand sweating, the problem can be mostly accredited to genetics. Sweaty palms normally develop during early childhood and may become more severe towards the late adolescence and into early adulthood.

The International Hyperhidrosis Society segregates the severity of Palmar Hyperhidrosis or Profuse Hand Perspiration into 4 subgroups. Group number 1 consists of patients that only have mild hand sweating or perspiration.  This group consists of patients that do not experience any functional or social troubles due to their condition. On the other hand are the patients that experience extreme and excessive hand perspiration. This level of moisture experienced by sufferers is described as dripping or drenching and this adversely affects them on a daily basis. Patients portrayed in the latter group rarely have encouraging results from conservative procedures such as Drionic, Drysol, Maxim, Oral Medications or Botox.

The medical surgery called Thoracic Sympathectomy has been developed and improved over the last five to six decades. In the previous decades, the procedure was made either through the lower neck, at the back or on the chest cavity. These methods involved major surgical intervention that required very long hospital recovery. On top of that, the operation also caused pain and excessive scarring to the patient. These are the reasons why the operation was not commonly chosen by physicians – and not very popular with patients, either.

Over the last two decades, improvements have been made and many successful surgeries were done with the aid of miniaturized cameras. This procedure using the aid of miniature cameras is known as Endoscopic Surgery. Access into the body cavities such as the abdomen or chest is done through miniature incisions wherein a probe that contains a camera can be put into. This is a less invasive procedure and it ends up with minimal surgical damage and a speedier recovery for the patient. Most of the surgeries today are done on an outpatient basis – the patient can go back home on the same day that the procedure is done.  The procedure achieves the same if not better results as the open surgeries that were done in the previous decades. Plus, it has the benefit of a short hospital stay and it does not have the side effects of severe pain and excessive scarring.