ENDOSCOPIC SYMPATHECTOMY TREATMENT FOR CRANIOFACIAL HYPERHIDROSIS

Objective: To present endoscopic T-2 sympathectomy as a minimally inva sive therapy for craniofacial hyperhidrosis (CH). Design: Follow-up st udy of 30 patients with CH treated by the new method in a 4-year perio d. The duration of follow-up was from 8 to 44 months (mean, 15 months) . Setting: University hospital. Patients: Thirty consecutive patients with CH (is men, 12 women) treated by the new method. All patients wer e essentially in good health except that they suffered from distressin g CH to the extent that their daily activities were often disturbed. T heir ages ranged from 7 to 63 years (mean age, 42.8 years). Interventi on: Endoscopic sympathectomy on both sides was carried out in a 1-stag e operation for all patients. Main Outcome Measures: The patients were interviewed 1 week and then 3 months after surgery and then followed up by telephone interview about the alleviation or recurrence of CH an d complications. Results: All of the treated patients obtained a satis factory alleviation of CH. One case was complicated by a mild and tran sient ptosis of the left eye. No recurrence of CH was noticed during t he follow-up period. Conclusions: This therapeutic procedure is minima lly invasive and effective. It causes minimal discomfort and was assoc iated with no major complications in this series. The patients require only an overnight hospital stay and the operation scars are small. En doscopic sympathectomy has proven to be an effective method in treatin g patients with distressing CH.