Thoracic sympathectomy in primary hyperhidrosis: patient satisfaction

To evaluate satisfaction among patients who underwent thoracic sympathectomy for primary hyperhidrosis and the possible complications after a minimum of 14 months after surgery. We performed a retrospective study in 108 patients who underwent thoracic sympathectomy and who responded to all the questions asked in a telephone interview. The sample was composed of 21 men and 87 women, with a mean age of 29.73 years. In all patients, surgery was performed with general anesthesia in a single intervention. Special emphasis was placed on the degree of satisfaction (whether patients would recommend this type of surgery) and the possible negative effects or complications experienced by patients or attributed by them to the procedure. Patients were contacted a minimum of 14 months after the intervention. The most frequent complication was compensatory sweating (81.5%). Pain at the site of trocar insertion was reported by 6.5%. There were few immediate and long-term complications. The degree of satisfaction reached 90.7%. Video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy is safe and effective. Despite compensatory sweating, overall satisfaction was very high. However, satisfaction gradually decreased in the months after the intervention. Patients with hyperhidrosis with significant or principal axillary involvement could benefit from botulinic toxin administration as the first-line therapy.