Is age group a predictive factor for satisfaction among patients undergoing sympathectomy to treat hyperhidrosis?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy is currently the procedure of choice for the definitive treatment of primary hyperhidrosis, because it is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive method. In the search for better quality of life indexes, all researchers look for predictive factors indicating better surgical outcomes. Failure in the primary treatment, postoperative compensatory hyperhidrosis, body mass index over 25, level of resection of the sympathetic chain, and extent of resection are some of the factors that may negatively influence the results. The objective of this study was to compare, according to the age group, the quality of life after bilateral thoracic sympathectomy for treatment of primary hyperhidrosis in a cohort of 1,644 patients. METHODS: From February 2000 to October 2008, data were collected from 1,644 patients with palmar (71%) or axillary (29%) hyperhidrosis who underwent video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy. The patients were divided into three groups according to their ages. The first group consisted of patients up to 17 years-old, the second from 18 to 30 years-old, and the third of over 30 years-old. All patients had a body mass index of less than 25. RESULTS: In the evaluation 30 days after surgery, improvement of the quality of life in the three groups was observed. There was no significant difference between the age groups. In the present study, 91.9% of the patients presented compensatory hyperhidrosis, with no difference between the age groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with primary hyperhidrosis experience quality of life improvement after thoracic sympathectomy regardless of their age.