José Ribas Milanez de Campos, Paulo Kauffman, Eduardo de Campos Werebe, Laert Oliveira Andrade Filho, Sergio Kuzniek, Nelson Wolosker, Fábio Biscegli Jatene, Mariane Amir
J Bras Pneumol.2003;29(4):178-181
Background: Hyperhidrosis or excessive sudoresis is a chronic disease associated with important subjective distress.
Objective: To propose a specific questionnaire to evaluate the quality of life of patients with hyperhidrosis.
Methods: From October 1995 to March 2002, 378 patients (234 females), with a mean age of 26.8 years, were evaluated before and after video-assisted thoracic sympathectomy.
Results: Therapeutic success was obtained in 90% of the procedures. The recurrence rate was 10% for palmar and 11% for axillary hyperhidrosis; 27% of the patients who had recurrence were re-operated successfully. No serious complications were reported. Of the total number of patients, 91% answered to the quality of life questionnaire, and 86% of them reported improvement after the procedure.
Conclusions: Thoracic sympathectomy is a therapeutic method capable of changing the quality of life of patients with hyperhidrosis. The questionnaire applied has shown these changes.
Keywords: Thoracic sympathectomy. Quality of life.