Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background Palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), characterized by excessive palm sweating, significantly impacts quality of life (QOL) in affected individuals, particularly young adults. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) in improving symptom...

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Main Authors: Jingsi Wang, Shengliang Zhao, Bo Tang, Mingzhang Xiang, Jigang Dai, Quanxing Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-03-01
Series:Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13019-025-03393-y
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author Jingsi Wang
Shengliang Zhao
Bo Tang
Mingzhang Xiang
Jigang Dai
Quanxing Liu
author_facet Jingsi Wang
Shengliang Zhao
Bo Tang
Mingzhang Xiang
Jigang Dai
Quanxing Liu
author_sort Jingsi Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), characterized by excessive palm sweating, significantly impacts quality of life (QOL) in affected individuals, particularly young adults. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) in improving symptoms and QOL among 816 patients with PH. Methods This retrospective study included 816 patients with PH, all of whom underwent VATS under general anaesthesia. One-year follow-up via phone surveys was used to assess symptom changes and side effects. Paired t tests were used to compare pre- and postoperative QOL scores, and linear regression was used to analyse the effects of various factors on QOL changes. Results The cohort consisted of 359 males and 457 females, with a mean age of 24.98 ± 6.47 years. All patients underwent VATS, with a 91% success rate, and the mean operative time was 53.2 ± 24.7 min. Postoperative complications included 43 cases of incision infections, 194 cases of chest pain, and 82 cases of pneumothorax; compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) occurred in 53.80% of the T3 group and 43.74% of the T4 group after one month, with significant differences noted at the 24-month follow-up. Furthermore, the QOL scores significantly improved from 38.25 ± 3.61 preoperatively to 69.07 ± 3.48 at one year postoperatively (P < 0.05). Conclusions VATS offers a reliable and effective treatment for severe PH, significantly enhancing patients’ overall QOL. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes and the applicability of this treatment across diverse populations to further advance the clinical management of PH.
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spelling doaj-art-8d7d645cb0e84f0c8a7d67f4b6fa660a2025-08-20T02:41:35ZengBMCJournal of Cardiothoracic Surgery1749-80902025-03-012011710.1186/s13019-025-03393-yQuality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort studyJingsi Wang0Shengliang Zhao1Bo Tang2Mingzhang Xiang3Jigang Dai4Quanxing Liu5Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Third Military Medical University)Abstract Background Palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), characterized by excessive palm sweating, significantly impacts quality of life (QOL) in affected individuals, particularly young adults. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) in improving symptoms and QOL among 816 patients with PH. Methods This retrospective study included 816 patients with PH, all of whom underwent VATS under general anaesthesia. One-year follow-up via phone surveys was used to assess symptom changes and side effects. Paired t tests were used to compare pre- and postoperative QOL scores, and linear regression was used to analyse the effects of various factors on QOL changes. Results The cohort consisted of 359 males and 457 females, with a mean age of 24.98 ± 6.47 years. All patients underwent VATS, with a 91% success rate, and the mean operative time was 53.2 ± 24.7 min. Postoperative complications included 43 cases of incision infections, 194 cases of chest pain, and 82 cases of pneumothorax; compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) occurred in 53.80% of the T3 group and 43.74% of the T4 group after one month, with significant differences noted at the 24-month follow-up. Furthermore, the QOL scores significantly improved from 38.25 ± 3.61 preoperatively to 69.07 ± 3.48 at one year postoperatively (P < 0.05). Conclusions VATS offers a reliable and effective treatment for severe PH, significantly enhancing patients’ overall QOL. Future research should focus on long-term outcomes and the applicability of this treatment across diverse populations to further advance the clinical management of PH.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13019-025-03393-yPalmar hyperhidrosisEndoscopic thoracic sympathectomySympathetic chainCompensatory hyperhidrosis
spellingShingle Jingsi Wang
Shengliang Zhao
Bo Tang
Mingzhang Xiang
Jigang Dai
Quanxing Liu
Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Palmar hyperhidrosis
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy
Sympathetic chain
Compensatory hyperhidrosis
title Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
title_full Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
title_fullStr Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
title_full_unstemmed Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
title_short Quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a retrospective cohort study
title_sort quality of life and compensatory hyperhidrosis following thoracoscopic sympathectomy a retrospective cohort study
topic Palmar hyperhidrosis
Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy
Sympathetic chain
Compensatory hyperhidrosis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s13019-025-03393-y
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