About Hyperhidrosis (Excessive Sweating)

Hyperhidrosis surgery used to be more complicated than it is today. Years ago large incisions would have to be made around the chest or back to locate the sympathetic nerves. Hospital stays could last about a week, with a month of recovery thereafter.

Much has changed since then, thanks to technological advancements. Today, Endoscopic Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy (ETS) is a simple surgery that requires general anesthesia. A couple of small incisions are made around the armpit area and, using a fiber-optic camera, surgeons locate the sympathetic nerves that cause excessive sweating. These nerves are then cut… based on the type of hyperhidrosis the patient has.

The surgery is relatively quick and afterwards the patient stays in the hospital for a maximum of 2 days. Recovery is generally less than 2 weeks.

Of course, like any surgery… there are risks to hyperhidrosis surgery. If you suffer from any type of heart disease or respiratory disease then you are not a good candidate for ETS surgery.

Many who have undergone hyperhidrosis surgery also notice that despite having stopped excessive sweating in the problem area, there is now sweating in other parts of their body. This is usually minimal compared to the excessive sweating they once had, and many say this is a tolerable side effect of ETS surgery.

common misspellings: hyperhydrosis, hiperhidrosis