Sweat glands in the human body play an important role. They perform a protective and excretory function, participate in the thermoregulation of the body. But there are situations in which uncontrolled sweating occurs. This significantly affects the quality of human life. At the moment, there are several ways to treat this problem, one of which is endoscopic sympathectomy. What kind of procedure is this and how is it carried out, we will consider in the article.
Definition of hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is a pathological condition characterized by increased sweating. It can be general (when intense sweat is observed throughout the body) and local (in this case, the pathology affects individual parts of the body - palms, armpits, feet).
Hyperhidrosis can be congenital and acquired. The reasons that can cause the development of a pathological condition are the following factors:
- Stress.
- Pregnancy.
- Endocrine diseases.
- Infectious diseases.
- Rheumatism.
- Intoxication of a chronic nature.
Treatment methods
Currently, there are several ways to treat hyperhidrosis. Consider the most common of them:
- Non-operational. This method involves the use of antiperspirants and physiotherapy (e.g., iontophoresis).
- Minimally invasive. Includes botulinum toxin injection.
- Invasive - curettage, the use of a laser and sympathectomy, which will be discussed in more detail.
Sympatectomy and its varieties
A sympathectomy is a type of surgical intervention in which some sections of the sympathetic system are blocked. As a result of the operation, impulses from a certain part of the nervous system cease to flow to the sweat glands.
Currently sympathectomy has several varieties, depending on the method of surgical intervention:
- Traditional. It is carried out in an open way. On the patient’s body, the doctor makes large cuts to get the fibers of the nerve trunk. It is considered the most traumatic method, since there is a high risk of complications. The rehabilitation period is quite long. After the operation, scars remain.
- Thoracoscopic. Used to treat hand hyperhidrosis.
- Lumbar Allows you to get rid of hyperhidrosis of the feet and legs. It is quite traumatic.
- Endoscopic sympathectomy. We will talk more about this method.
Definition
Endoscopic sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis is the most common treatment for this disease. It is performed under general anesthesia and has minimal postoperative complications. This type of sympathectomy is used to treat increased sweating of the upper body of a person. For the procedure, a special device is used - an endoscope.
The advantages of endoscopic sympathectomy are the following:
- In most patients, the duration of the rehabilitation period does not exceed one week.
- The formation of barely noticeable scars in place of small incisions.
- The vast majority of patients helped this method of treatment.
When conducting endoscopic sympathectomy, the reviews of patients and doctors in most cases are positive.
The main indication for the operation is hyperhidrosis, which could not be cured by traditional methods. Also, the following diseases can be attributed to indications:
- Raynaud's disease.
- Sudek's disease.
- Redness of the face.
Contraindications for endoscopic sympathectomy include:
- Tuberculosis.
- Operations on the abdominal organs.
- Secondary rehydrosis.
- Acute heart failure.
- Acute pulmonary failure.
Preparatory Activities
Before surgery, the patient needs to undergo a series of laboratory and instrumental examinations to exclude pathological conditions in the body that can affect the course of surgery. Preparatory measures include the following procedures:
- Clinical analysis of urine and blood.
- Blood chemistry.
- ECG.
- Fluorography.
- An ultrasound examination of the peritoneum is sometimes prescribed.
Operation progress
Endoscopic sympathectomy is currently performed in several ways. Let's consider them in more detail.
- Excision of the sympathetic trunk. This method allows you to quickly get rid of the symptoms of the disease, but also has a serious drawback - this type of surgical intervention is irreversible. If side effects occur, it is not possible to correct the situation.
- Without destruction of the sympathetic trunk (clipping). In this case, the nerve fibers are clamped with special brackets, which, if desired, can be removed to restore nerve conduction. With endoscopic sympathectomy, clipping of the sympathetic trunks, according to patients, is the most preferred treatment for hyperhidrosis.
The operation is carried out as follows:
- After the introduction of anesthesia, the surgeon makes a puncture in the sternum or armpits with a special device.
- After that, an endoscope equipped with a video camera and a light source is introduced into the cavity formed. The image will be fed to the screen next to it, which allows the doctor to see the whole situation completely, which significantly reduces the risk of errors during surgery.
- Further, with the help of the introduced tools, the sympathetic trunk is excised or a special titanium clip is applied to it. It depends on the choice of treatment.
- Introduced instruments are removed, stitches are placed on the puncture sites.
With endoscopic sympathectomy, reviews after surgery confirm its effectiveness. Currently, hospitals have high-quality equipment for such operations.
Rehabilitation
The recommendations that should be followed after surgery for 7-10 days are quite simple:
- Do not neglect the appointments of the attending physician.
- Do not drink alcohol or smoke.
- Refuse to go to the beach or solarium.
- Do not take a bath, do not go to baths and saunas.
- Visit a doctor on time.
Complications
Despite the fact that, judging by the reviews, endoscopic sympathectomy is not a very difficult operation, the patient may experience some complications. These include:
- bruising
- compensatory hyperhidrosis (this is the most common complication);
- pneumothorax;
- infection
- hemothorax.
But such complications are quite rare and directly depend on the skills of the surgeon.
Conclusion
Hyperhidrosis is a rather unpleasant disease. In this regard, to improve the quality of life, it is recommended to consult a doctor for advice. According to experts, endoscopic sympathectomy is the most sparing method of treating this disease with a short rehabilitation period. Before the operation, it is necessary to consult a doctor regarding the choice of the method of its implementation.