A New Target of Percutaneus Sympathic Radiofrequency Thermocoagulation for Treatment of Palmar Hyperhidrosis: T4
Tarık Purtuloğlu1, Süleyman Deniz1, Abdulkadir Atım1, Şükrü Tekindur1, Sedat Gürkök2, Ercan Kurt1
1Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Department Of Anesthesiology And Reanimation, Ankara, Turkey
2Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Thorasic Surgery, Ankara, Turkey
Keywords: Hyperhidrosis, T4, radiofrequency, sympathectomy
Abstract
Background and aims: Hyperhidrosis is thought to result from functional impairment of sympathic nervous system. In this study, percutaneous T4 sympathic radiofrequency (RF) thermocoagulation was used to treat palmar hyperhidrosis which do not respond to conservative treatment and the results were evaluated in terms of safety, efficiency and patient satisfaction.
Methods: In this study, 15 patients aged 16-48 regularly performed retrospectively on data obtained from records kept. Patient satisfaction scores (very satisfied, satisfied, not satisfied), after treatment of the hand condition (dry, mild dry, no improvement), and whether the most common complication and most patients expressed by the compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) degree (none, mild, moderate, severe) were analyzed.
Results: No complications were observed except a coughing crisis lasting in 2 hours in one patient, transient bradycardia in 1 patient and transient injection site pain in all cases. Two patients 1 per week and three patients 1, 2 and 6 months developed recurrence.
Conclusions: Sympathic T4 ablation with RF thermocoagulation was found to have a long term (6 months) patient satisfaction (80 %). It was also effective in reducing the sweating of hand (80 % dry or mild dry). The CH rate was 27 %. According to our results, sympathic T4 ablation with RF thermocoagulation is a safe and effective treatment with high patient satisfaction.