• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2004

Compensatory sweating is the main cause of patient dissatisfaction after sympathetic surgery for craniofacial hyperhidrosis. Surgery that sympathetic nerve trunk preserved and extent of resection limited was introduced to decrease compensatory sweating. From Jan 2000 to July 2002, the vidio-assisted thoracoscopic T2 sympathetic clipping and rami comunicantes selective division were performed in 36 patients suffering from craniofacial hyperhidrosis. Twenty two patients underwent a T2 sympathetic nerve clipping (Group 1), and fourteen patients underwent division of the T2 ramicommunicates (Group 2). We retrospectively analysed the rate of satisfaction, dryness of face, the rate of compensatory sweating, grade of compensatory sweating. The dryness of face was that no statistical difference between group 1 and group 2 (p=0.387); group1: dry 22.7% (5/22), humid 77.3% (17/22) group 2: dry 14.3% (2/14), humid 78.5% (11/14), persist 7.2% (1/14). The rate of satisfaction was 77.3% in T2 clipping and 64.2% in T2 sympathicotomy with no significant in the statistic analysis (p=0.396). The rate of compensatory sweating on group 2 was lower than group 1 (p=0.042); 95.4% (21/22) in T1 sympathetic clipping and 71.4% in T2 ramicotomy. The rate of embarrassing and disabling compensatory sweating was 70.5% (embarassing 8 patients, disabling 9 patients) in T2 clipping and 42.9% (embarassing 8 patients, disabling 9 patients)in T2 ramicotomy with statistically significant difference (p=0.036). The sympathetic trunk preservation surgery for craniofacial hyperhidrosis (T2 ramicotomy) redueced the rate of compensatory sweating when compared to the blocking surgery of sypathetic trunk (T2 clipping).

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.739-744
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• 1999

Background: This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of T3 sympathicotomy in treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis. Material and Method: During the period of June to December 1998, 50 patients (24 females and 26 males) suffering from palmar hyperhidrosis either in isolation (n=37) or in combination with axillary hyperhidrosis (n=13) were operated. The mean age of the patients was 20 years. The bilateral sympathetic trunks were severed on the 3rd rib (2nd and 3rd ganglia) for the isolated palmar hyperhidrosis and on the 3rd and 4th ribs for the combined type using electrocoagulation scissors. A linear analogue scale was used to assess the degree of sweating on the palms, face, trunk, and feet (ranged 0 to 10:0 = anhidrosis: 10 = excessive sweating) as well as the patient's satisfaction with the surgery (ranged 0 to 10:0 = regret; 10 = completely satisfied). Result: All of the patients were relieved from palmar hyperhidrosis. A mean palmar sweat production score after T3 sympathicotomy was $1.5\pm$0.8. Some degree of compensatory sweating had occurred in 39 patients (78%) with a mean score of 3.4$\pm$1.6. Gustatory sweating occurred in 2 patients (4%). The mean score of the patient's satisfaction after the surgery was 8.5$\pm$1.2. Conclusion: Palmar hyperhidrosis can be successfully relieved by the T3 sympathicotomy. When considering the advantages of T3 sympathicotomy with respects to a better preservation of facial sympathetic function, less occurrence of severe compensatory sweating, and lower incidence of gustatory sweating. We recommend T3 sympathicotomy as a treatment of choice for palmar hyperhidrosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.89-94
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• 2008

Background: Thoracoscopic R3 sympathicotomy can effectively treat palmar hyperhidrosis. Here, we evaluated post-operative outcomes of patients receiving a thoracoscopic R3 sympathicotomy due to palmar hyperhidrosis. Material and Method: From January 2001 to December 2006, 225 patients were treated with a R3 sympathicotomy, and follow up was completed for 200 patients, with an average follow up period of 51.7 ($11{\sim}80$) months. We measured postoperative hand sweating according to four grades; dry (grade 1), proper (grade 2), light sweating (grade 3), heavy sweating (grade 4) and evaluated patient satisfaction using 4 grades: very good (grade 0), good (grade1), regular (grade 2), and deficient (grade 3). Result: There were no differences in clinical parameters between the compensatory sweating group and the non-compensatory sweating group. There was a 83.5% compensatory sweating rate. The degree of compensatory sweating related to the patient's body mass index and was influenced by the season, environmental temperature, and emotional stress. Conclusion: The satisfaction rate was 61.5%, and the degree of satisfaction related to the development of compensatory sweating. Therefore, reducing compensatory sweating would increase patient satisfaction with R3 sympathicotomies.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.6
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• pp.598-603
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• 1998

Excessive sweating of the palms, axillae, and face has a strong negative impact on the quality of life for many people. The existing non-operative therapeutic options seldom give sufficient relief and have a transient effect. But a definitive cure can be obtained by upper thoracic sympathectomy. From June 1997 to October 1997, 117 cases of the needle (2 mm) thoracoscopic thoracic sympathectomies were performed in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center Yong-dong Severance Hospital in Seoul, Korea. We have followed up on 94 cases which include palmar hyperhidrosis (n=85), facial hyperhidrosis(n=5) and axillary hyperhidrosis(n=4). There were 42 males and 52 females whose ages ranged from 14 to 63 years(median:23 years). The T2 ganglia and T3-4 ganglia were excised by electrocuting with a hook and endoscissors and were removed for histologic examination. There have been no mortalities or life-threatening complications. The surgical results were classified as excellent(much improvement,very dry) in 93.6%, good(some improvement, minimally wet) in 2.1%, and fair(slight improvement, still wet) in 4.2%. Five patients(5.3%) required closed thoracostomy drainage because of pneumothorax in the immediate postoperative day. Horner's syndrome occurred in one case. The compensatory sweating occurred in 67 cases(71.2%) and was embarrassing in 21 cases(22.3%) and disabling in 9 cases(9.6%) of these cases. Primary failure occurred in one case. The patient with primary failure underwent successful operation. Fifty-one patients had concomitant hyperhidrosis. Our experiences indicate needle thoracoscopic sympathectomy is a very effective, safe, and time- saving procedure for essential hyperhidrosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.336-338
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• 1998

Facial hyperhidrosis has a symptom of excessive sweating on the face with or without underlying disease. It can be surgically treated by video-assisted thoracic surgery(VATS). We encountered three cases of facial hyperhidrosis which we treated by VATS, which was performed by resection of the lower third of stellate ganglion and T2-T3 sympathetic ganglia with chains. Postoperative symptom was improved in all cases. There were no postoperative complications such as Horner's syndrome or postsympathectomy neuralgia.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.52-60
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• 2001

Purpose: In young male patients who suffered several kinds of trauma with subsequent suspicious reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, we performed three-phasic bone scan in order to investigate its usefulness. Materials and Methods: Patients with narrow range of age (21-25. mean $22.8{\pm}1.3$, all male) were included with suspicious reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome of 12 feet and 5 hands. Only one was bilateral feet case and 16 were ipsilateral (Rt:13, Lt:3). The etiologic traumas were 4 fractures, 4 sprains, 3 blunt trauma, 2 cellulitis, 1 tendon tear, 1 crush injury, 1 overexercise, and 1 unknown. Radiologically 3 showed osteoporotic changes. Three-phasic bone scans were performed $21.2{\pm}7.3wks$ after trauma. Results: According to symptom complex, confirmatory reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome 4 cases and suspicious 13 were analyzed. All confirmatory cases (100%) showed increased uptake at delay phase with periarticular accentuation. Of confirmatory 4 cases, 2 showed increased uptake in all three phases (perfusion: P, blood pool: B, and delay: D), and other 2 revealed decreased P but, both increased B and D. Of suspicious 13 cases, 9(69.2%) had increased D (4 periarticular and 5 focal), 2 decreased D, and 2 symmetric D. In 12 foot cases, so-called weight hearing patterns - increased contralateral sole at P and B - were revealed in 7(58.3%). Conclusion: Diffuse periarticular increased uptake at delay phase of three-phasic bone scan was a compatible finding to reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome in young male patients whose symptom complex strongly designated post traumatic reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.343-346
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• 2008

Background: Thoracoscpic sympathicotomy is an effective treatment for essential hyperhidrosis. Patients are generally satisfied with the surgery at the early post operative period, but they suffer from recurrence and compensatory sweating at the late post operative period. There are many sympathicotomy methods for minimizing recurrence and the compensatory sweating. We compared the outcome from between the R3 and R4 sympathicotomy methods for the symptoms, atisfaction, recurrence and compensatory sweating. Material and Method: From January 1999 to July 2007, 39 cases of thoracoscopic sympathicotomy at the 3rd rib (R3) and 72 cases of thoracoscopic sympathicotomy at the 4th rib (R4) for treating palmar hyperhidrosis were compared for the early and late satisfaction, the compensatory sweating and recurrence. Result: There is no difference of gender and age for the 2 groups. Early satisfaction was reported by 94.9% of the R3 patients and by 98.7% of the R4 patients. 84.6% of the R3 patients reported late satisfaction and 87.5% of the R4 patients reported late satisfaction. There were no significant differences between the groups for the early and late satisfaction. But there was a difference between the groups for compensatory sweating (23.1% in the R3 group and 9.7% in the R4 group (p=0.020)). The reoperation rate due to recurrence was 5.1% in the R3 group and 4.2% in the R4 group. There was no significant difference between the groups for recurrence. Conclusion: R4 sympathicotomy has excellent therapeutic results for compensatory sweating as compared to R3 sympathicotomy for treating palmar hyperhidrosis.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.11
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• pp.1089-1093
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• 1998

Background: In 1992, we first developed the technique for video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy to treat palmar hyperhidrosis. It was soon proven to be a simple and effective therapy for essential hyperhidrosis. Clinically, patients suffereing from distressing hyperhidrosis in their heads and faces were observed. Materials and methods: From March 1997 to March 1998, the vidio-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy and sympathicotomy were performed in 60 patients suffering from craniofacial hyperhidrosis in the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery in the Respiratory Center of Yongdong Severance Hospital Seoul, Korea. Thirty-nine patients underwent a conventional sympathectomy(T1 sympathectomy group), and twenty-one patients underwent division of the sympathetic nerve trunk above the T2 sympathetic ganglion(T2 sympathicotomy). The median follow up was 9 months. Results: All of the treated patients obtained satisfactory alleviation of craniofacial hyperhidrosis. No recurrence was observed in group T1 sympathectomy whereas one occurred in sympathicotomy. The global rate of compensatory sweating was about the same in both groups ; 76.9% in T1 sympathectomy and 76.2% in T2 sympathicotomy. The rate of embarrassing and disabling compensatory sweating was 38.5% in T1 sympathectomy and 38.1% in T2 sympathicotomy with no significant in the statistic analysis(p> 0.05). No transient Horner's syndrome was observed in group T2 sympathicotomy whereas seven occurred in T1 sympathectomy with improvement in follow-up. Only an overnight hospital stay was required in both group. Conclusions: The video-assist thoracoscopic sympathicotomy is minimally invasive and effective. Video-assisted thoracoscopic T2 sympathicotomy has proven to be effective method and less complicated in treating patients with distressing craniofacial hyperhidrosis and consistent in obtaining the same results as T1 sympathectomy.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.262-265
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• 1998

A retrospective analysis was performed on the 72 cases of peripheral artery occlusive disease treated at Yonsei Medical School Yongdong Severance Hospital, from March 1, 1990, through July 31, 1992, focusing on the operative procedures, surgical results and perioperative complications. The etiologic causes of vascular obstruction were atherosclerosis in 28 cases, Buerger's disease in 31, traumatic orgin in 7, operative complications in 4, and malignancy and arteritis in one case each. Treatment modalities, actually performed include bypass graft.(27), infusion of PGE1 (23), Embolectomy (16), Sympathectomy (4) and end-to-end anastomosis (2). There were 21 satisfactory cases and 9 unsatisfactory cases of atherosclerotive occlusive disease, defining the operative outcome as“satisfactory”if the obstructive symptoms disappeared completely and “unsatisfactory”if they did not. The patients of TAO induced Buerger's disease with preoperative Foutain class III or IV were surgically converted to class 0 in 14 cases, class I in 12 and class II in 3.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.111-116
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• 1997

The treatment of chronic digital pain and cold intolerance due to Raynaud's phenomenon is quite difficult especially it is combined with scleroderma. Several surgical trial such as cervicothoracic sympathectomy have been attempted for the medically unresponsible Raynaud's phenomenon, but their results were unsatisfactory. We have tried peripheral periarterial sympathectomy for the 44 years old female patient who had medically unresponsible severe Raynaud's phenomenon with scleroderma. Periarterial adventitial stripping was performed at the level of wrist, superficial palmar arch, common digital artery and proper digital artery about 1.5-2 cm in length. Preoperative angiography and radioactive angiography were done and preoperatively and postoperatively the blood flow was measured by the desk top computer-aided histogram. Both hands digital pain were markedly reduced after operation and blood flow increased as compaired with the preoperative measure.