Calidad de vida en pacientes con hiperhidrosis primaria sometidos a simpatectomía videotoracoscópica en el servicio de cirugía del Hospital Vicente Corral Moscoso, 2013

Abstract

Introduction: Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by excessive sweating that exceeds the physiological needs to maintain thermal homeostasis1. It affects between 1-3% of the general population. Hyperhidrosis can be classified into two main entities: primary hyperhidrosis, which affects face and upper members and is caused by a dysfunction of the sympathetic autonomic nervous system, and secondary hyperhidrosis is rather a sign that manifests in various medical conditions such as, hyperthyroidism.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to demonstrate how the quality of life improves in patients with primary hyperhidrosis after thoracic sympathectomy; investigate how it influenced the quality of life before surgery, and to identify the percentage of occurrence of compensatory sweating. The study was conducted with patients operated on from January 2012 to June 2013 in the Surgery service of Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital.

Methodology: A descriptive, observational, conducted with 51 patients, 54 initially included but were not able to locate. We excluded patients diagnosed with secondary hyperhidrosis. A survey was validated for data collection.

Results: 96 percent of patients reported an improvement in quality of life, 50% that went from a lifestyle from poor or very poor to very good or excellent. 43% had compensatory sweating, which stopped or gradually recedes.

Conclusions: Surgical treatment by endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, provides excellent results that are measurable in terms of improved quality of life, a low rate of complications, but often associated to compensatory sweating.

DeCS: HYPERHIDROSIS/THERAPY; HYPERHIDROSIS/SURGERY; QUALITY OF LIFE; SYMPATHECTOMY/UTILIZATION; HOSPITAL REGIONAL VICENTE CORRAL MOSCOSO; CUENCA-ECUADOR.