Palmo-Plantar Hyperhidrosis: Does Drainless One-port Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy (DOTS) help?

Objectives: Primary hyperhidrosis (PH) still impacts negatively the patients’ quality of life (QoL). Progressively, it leads to poorer QoL regardless of gender; finally, it ends up causing psycho-social and professional embracement to patients. The thoracoscopic sympathectomy (TS) has been used safely and effectively for control of palmar hyperhidrosis; but it is still questionable in palmo-plantar type. We assessed the benefits of drainless one-port thoracoscopic sympathectomy (DOTS) in palmo-plantar and palmar hyperhidrosis. Methods: This prospective study comprised 213 consecutive patients with PH who underwent bilateral simultaneous DOTS. We used the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale (HDSS) scoring system for assessment of quality of life pre- and post-operatively. Follow up continued for one-year interval for quality of life, recurrence, and compensatory hyperhidrosis. Results: All patients experienced immediate complete resolution of hyperhidrosis postoperatively. Recurrence encountered in one patient during first 6 months. All patients had improved quality of life postoperatively; but at the end of 1-year follow up, 2.8 % of patients were still suffering moderate to severe impaired QoL. Mean hospital stay was 31.79±17.5 hours. We found significant longer hospital stay in palmar group than palmo-plantar group. There was no significant difference between both groups in neither operative time, recurrence, nor compensatory hyperhidrosis. Conclusions: DOTS offers better quality of life for patients with primary hyperhidrosis even the palmo-plantar type. The palmo-plantar type benefits similarly to the palmar type. In palmo-plantar hyperhidrosis, we should rethink again about post-operative plantar hyperhidrosis; it is accepted redistribution compensatory hyperhidrosis rather than a miserable recurrence.