Minimally Invasive Procedure Helps Prevent Sweaty Palms

Jackson, Miss. - September 5, 2003 -- Sweaty Palms, known medically as palmer hyperhidrosis, or excessive hand sweating, is the most common presentation of hyperhidrosis. Hyperhidrosis is the medical term for perspiration that is greater than that needed to maintain normal body temperature.

Dr. Michael Koury, a surgeon at Baptist Medical Center in Jackson, Miss., performs a minimally invasive procedure called thoracic sympathectomy to help control sweaty palms.

"Excessive hand sweating can be quite severe by affecting a patient's everyday life both functionally and socially," said Dr. Koury. "Research indicates that genetics plays a large part in the development of sweaty palms. It usually starts early in childhood and can get more severe towards the late teenage years and into early adulthood."

Sweaty palms occur when the body's thermostat stays elevated. To get rid of that excess heat, sweat drips from hands, feet, underarms, or forehead. Sympathetic nerves control sweat; so when they are clipped or divided the sweating stops.

The thoracic sympathectomy is performed endoscopically. Two 5 mm incisions are made at the bottom of the armpit. The lung is permitted to fall away from the inside of the rib cage and a camera is inserted into the chest cavity. The lung is pushed aside, and the sympathetic chain identified. The camera provides magnification, so structures appear larger and in greater detail than they would to the naked eye. Utilizing a cautery device, the sympathetic nerve branches of the sympathetic chain are cut. The Kuntz nerve, are small nerve branches from the sympathetic nerve trunk, is sought and, if found, cut. The incisions are closed and an identical operation is performed on the other side.

Dr. Koury added that the success rate for the treatment of sweaty hands is about 98 percent.

"For decades, attempts were made at several different remedies. Methods such as lotions, oral medications, electronic devices, botox, acupuncture, biofeedback, and herbal medicines had little or no effect on this problem. The only highly effective and permanent solution was found to be surgery. In this surgery, the sympathetic chain, responsible for excessive sweating is interrupted," Dr. Koury said.

The procedure, conducted on an outpatient basis, achieves the same results as an open operation but without the long hospital stays, severe pain, and excessive scarring.

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