Exploring Surgery As A Treatment Option For Hyperhidrosis
When it is clear that other hyperhidrosis options are not providing results, you might need to consider surgical options. There are a number of surgical excessive sweating treatments out there. If you have hyperhidrosis, the best place to start would be to consult your physician.
Current surgical options for excessive sweating treatment include local removal of sweat glands to more extensive surgery options like endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, also called ETS. ETS is not something usually recommended by doctors, unless it is a last resort. It is considered a last resort because of the serious side effects of the procedure, such as compensatory sweating.
A surgery is termed local because it is performed at the site of the excessive sweating. Currently, there are three basic local surgical techniques: excision, curettage, and liposuction. All three are used primarily to treat extreme underarm sweating. Additionally, each of these local surgical options involves the extraction of the sweat glands. For instance, in excision, the doctor cuts out the affected glands. Curettage, on the other hand, is less about cutting that it is scraping out the sweat glands. Liposuction is easy enough to understand; in this surgery, the sweat glands are removed with suction.
As previously mentioned, most dermatologists are slow to suggest ETS as an excessive sweating treatment because of its reputation. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy is an invasive surgery in which the doctor is attempting to interrupt the transmission of nerve impulses in the spine to the glands. In effect, the surgery’s purpose is to “turn off” these signals so they can’t “turn on” the sweat glands.
ETS is invasive because it involves the insertion of a miniature camera through an incision made into the chest via the underarm. Once the camera is in place, one of the lungs will be collapsed to offer clear view to the nerve pathways so they can be eliminated to treat the hyperhidrosis. The surgery is typically performed on both sides of the body. In most cases, ETS is used to treat palm and underarm hyperhidrosis.
The side effects of ETS known as compensatory sweating have been mentioned in passing. It will often appear on the face, chest, back, abdomen, legs, and even buttocks. There is a chance that this secondary sweating can be worse that the initial problem.
Understanding more about the surgical options, you may better understand what surgery will mean to you. Again, surgery should be the final category of options you pursue for excessive sweating treatment. It should to done only after other treatments like prescription strength antiperspirants, anticholinergics, iontophoresis, and Botox injections are tried first.
Should be interested in surgery to treat hyperhidrosis symptoms, then you must talk to your doctor before making final decisions. There are real risks involved when you opt to undergo hyperhidrosis surgery. Don’t be hasty in making a decision about surgery, especially when ETS is concerned. The doctor will be able to explain the full range of options available to you so you do not make hasty decisions. You probably understand that spending a little time examining what is entailed with surgery may help you avoid a mistake with far-reaching consequences.