Video Assisted Thoracotomy Sympathectomy by for patients with palmar hyperhidrosis

09/08/2022 15:24

Recently, doctors from the Laparoscopic Centre, Viet Duc University Hospital (VDUH) conducted the sympathetic block by Video Assisted Thoracotomy (VAT) successfully for a 23-year-old girl with palmar hyperhidrosis. This is a highly effective surgery, safe and fast recovery.

 

T.N.A (23 years old) from Vinh Phuc has a beautiful appearance and a nice job but being self-deprecating quite often because of her palmar hyperhidrosis. She has a history of palmar hyperhidrosis since she was a student, but because it had no changed on life so she did not notice, let her palmar hyperhidrosis last until now. Since getting work as an interpreter requires a lot of contact, until this time, she realized that sweating on hands affected her activities, making her afraid when shaking hands so she has tried to avoid contact with others, losing confidence, thereby causing N.A to miss a lot of opportunities in work and life. When she was emotional, stressed, sweat dripped from her hands, sometimes she had to use a towel continuously because her hands are always wet, which made her feel pressured and uncomfortable. N.A went to VDUH for checking and being advised. There doctors diagnosed her with grade 3 palmar hyperhidrosis.

 

Dr. Bui Thanh Phuc, Deputy Head of the Emergency Abdominal Surgery Department, VDUH, said: We decided to perform surgery to block innervation lymph nodes by harmonic scalpel. The surgeons have checked the patient’s chest cavity by two very small ports which about 5mm of diameter. With the modern operating room and laparoscopic surgery equipment, we can evaluate the organs in the chest cavity at the same time to determine the exact location of sympathetic innervation lymph nodes for ablation.

 

         

With a short surgery duration time from only 20 to 30 minutes, the patient’s hands are completely dry right after surgery. After only one day, Ms. N.A was discharged from the hospital, returning to her normal life and work.

 

Sweating is the body’s self-cooling mechanism. The nervous system automatically activates sweat glands when body temperature elevated. Sweating is also common, especially on the palms, when getting anxious. Depending on the cause, people are divided into different types of hyperhidrosis.

 

Of the types of abnormally excessive sweating, the most common type is primary hyperhidrosis. In this type, the nerves responsible for starting up the sweat glands become overactive, even though the nerves not activated by physical activity or an increase in temperature. If there is a lot of stress or agitated, the excessive sweating becomes worse. Primary hyperhidrosis usually causes excessive sweating of the palms and soles (hyperhidrosis) and sometimes in face.

 

The cause of primary hyperhidrosis has not been explained in fully way. It may be partly genetic as it is sometimes seen in patients with a family history.

 

Another less common type of hyperhidrosis that is on the rise is secondary hyperhidrosis. This is an excessive sweating due to health condition. Unlike primary hyperhidrosis, secondary cases often cause excessive sweating of whole body.

 

Currently, Laparoscopic Center of VDUH has successfully operated on for hundreds of hyperhidrosis cases, bringing normal life to patients, becoming a reliable address for the people across country.