title: Patient Satisfaction after Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy for Palmar Hyperhidrosis: Do Method and Level Matter?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although surgery is widely recognized as the best treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), the decision to perform a sympathicotomy, sympathectomy, or clipping of the thoracic sympathetic chain is based on surgeon preference.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the outcomes of patients who underwent surgical intervention for PH with regard to method used and level of sympathetic chain interrupted.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a retrospective medical chart review. Patients who underwent thoracoscopic intervention for PH were mailed questionnaires regarding their presenting and postoperative symptoms and satisfaction 6 months to 15 years after their procedure. Analyses were performed to investigate whether the surgical method applied affected these outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 635 patients underwent bilateral thoracoscopic procedures for PH between April 1995 and February 2010, and 210 (33%) responded to the questionnaires. Sixteen surgeons performed 108 sympathicotomies, 83 sympathectomies, and 19 ligations with titanium clips for PH. Mean follow-up was 5.5 years. Overall palmar success was 85.4% and was not affected by the surgical method. The rate of compensatory hyperhidrosis was significantly lower if the operative level did not include the R2 ganglion (66.7% vs 80.6%, p = 0.028). Nevertheless, 76.2% of patients were satisfied with the results, and 85.7% would repeat the procedure if given the option to do it again.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients reported relief of their PH and were satisfied with surgical intervention, regardless of method used. Although postoperative compensatory hyperhidrosis was common, this did not appear to affect overall patient satisfaction. The inclusion of rib level 2 ganglion resulted in a significantly increased incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis.
authors.affiliation: General Surgeon at the Los Angeles Medical Center in CA. amy.w.cheng@kp.org.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: General Surgeon at the Los Angeles Medical Center in CA. hegejohnsen@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Hege
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Johnsen
authors.affiliation: Thoracic Surgeon at the Los Angeles Medical Center in CA. michael.y.chang@kp.org.
authors.forename: Michael Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D006945:Hyperhidrosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013562:Sympathectomy / Q000379:methods*