Should You Risk Surgery To Control Excessive Sweating
September 9th, 2009
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.
Those surgeries deemed local are those that are performed directly at the area where excessive sweating treatment is needed. There three surgical techniques that are performed locally: excision, curettage, and liposuction. Each of these local options are used in the treat of serious underarm sweating. Additionally, each of these local surgical options involves the extraction of the sweat glands. Excision is literally cutting out the sweat glands that are producing too much moisture. Curettage, on the other hand, is less about cutting that it is scraping out the sweat glands. Finally, liposuction involves the removal of the sweat glands by suction.
As far as excessive sweating treatment is concerned, it is for good reason that skin doctors discourage ETS as a surgery option for hyperhidrosis. 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. As a result, the surgery will effectively deactivate the signals so the sweat glands will not function.
ETS is an invasive surgery since it requires cutting into the chest via the armpit and inserting a tiny camera. Once inside, one of the lungs are collapsed to allow the doctor free access to the appropriate nerve paths to destroy them. The surgery is typically performed on both sides of the body. ETS has been used mostly for the treatment of severe palm and underarm sweating.
Compensatory sweating, which was mentioned above, is one of the potential side effects of endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. It will affect parts of the body including the face, the back, the chest, legs, abdomen, and buttocks. It is not uncommon for this secondary excessive sweating to be much worse in severity than the problem you had before surgery.
With the options listed, it might be a good time to think about what surgery might mean for you personally. As an excessive sweating treatment, surgery really should be the final option. Once you have gone through every other option for excessive sweating treatment including Botox injections, prescription antiperspirants, iontophoresis, and anticholinergics, you may then start looking into surgical ones.
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.
I love to help people and give out info ive found about new solutions when it comes to hyperhidrosis. I like to spend my time blogging and playing sports.
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Tags: excessive sweating, excessive sweating treatment, Health and Fitness, hyperhidrosis
