Analysis of the Results of Videotoracoscopic Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Hyperhidrosis in Patients 40 Years or Older

Background: Several factors that could influence the efficacy and satisfaction of patients after bilateral thoracic sympathectomy (video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy [VATS]) in the treatment of hyperhidrosis (HH) have been studied, but no studies in the literature have specifically analyzed the effectiveness of treatment and variations in the quality of life of patients aged 40 years or older compared with those of young adult patients (19-40 years). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2,431 HH patients who underwent bilateral VATS and divided the patients into the following groups: a group younger than 40 years old (1,760 patients) and a group 40 years and older (142 patients). Variables included quality of life before surgery, improvement in quality of life after surgery, clinical improvement in sweating, the presence of severe compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH), and general satisfaction at 1 month after surgery. Results: We observed that all surgical patients presented with poor or very poor quality of life before surgery, with similar proportions in both groups. In the postoperative period, we observed improvement in quality of life in more than 90% of the patients, with no significant difference noted between the 2 groups of patients. More than 90% of the patients in this series had great clinical improvement in the main HH site, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Severe CH occurred in 23.8% of the patients in this series, with no significant difference between the 2 groups. Conclusions: Patients 40 years of age or older benefit just as much as younger patients from VATS performed to treat primary HH, presenting excellent significant surgical results.