Surgical treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis

Surgical treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis by suction-curettage of sweat glands

Suction curettage is a dermatologic surgery technique for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis, which is becoming more popular.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study is to describe the current technique of removal of axillary sweat glands, and evaluate its efficacy and safety.

CONCLUSION

Suction-curettage of sweat glands is a minimally invasive surgical technique that is easy to perform, safe, has high rates of success and relatively few side-effects. It is generally well tolerated by patients and requires shorter time away from daily activities, when compared with other surgical modalities.

Definitive diagnosis and management of axillary hyperhidrosis: the VapoMeter and suction-assisted arthroscopic shaving

BACKGROUND

Axillary hyperhidrosis is a benign, yet significant, disability that not only impairs social interaction but also affects occupational activities.

OBJECTIVES

The author provides a detailed description of axillary shaving, a procedure with proven results. He also describes the use of the VapoMeter (Delfin Technologies, Stamford, Connecticut), which accurately and easily measures sweating in g/m(2)/h.

METHODS

Although a total of 45 patients have received this surgery since 2005, this report includes only the last eight patients (16 axilla) for whom both pre- and postoperative VapoMeter readings are available.

RESULTS

The average preoperative VapoMeter reading was 473 g/m(2)/h (range, 98-998), which improved to an average of 58 g/m(2)/h postoperatively (range, 21-227). As a comparison, controls for all axilla had an average measurement of 23.7 g/m(2)/h (range, 18-31).

CONCLUSIONS

When combined with the effective surgical technique of axillary shaving, the VapoMeter provides an objective measure to both definitively diagnose and confirm results of the shaving. With this protocol, patients who require surgical intervention for their hyperhidrosis can be reassured that the procedure is indeed effective in improving their condition.