Does needlescopic thoracic sympathectomy work?

I'm 15 and have palmar hyperhidrosis. I h8 it, i can't even write on paper normally bcuz i'll get it soaked and i can't shake hands or hold hands w/ anyone. I recently saw a permanent solution called needlescopic thoracic sympathectomy and want to know about it, such as does it it work or hurt, and whats the earliest age to get it done. I really want to hv normal hands like everyone else.

Does needlescopic thoracic sympathectomy work?
I highly advise you do not have it done! This is a decision you have to consider very carefully and get advice from health care professionals (several opinions) who can evaluate your condition and take everything into consideration. That being said I really hope you consider some reasons I'll give you, and if you don't understand anything I write, please consult someone who is a neutral party but knows about how the nervous system works. I'll try to break it down as best I can because it is pretty confusing (took me about a year and a half to really understand a lot of this, so don't feel bad if you don't get it right away)





The nervous system basically has 2 components, the sympathetic portion (fight or flight) and the parasympathetic portion (wine and dine). The stuff in parenthesis gives you a general idea of what each portion controls. Both nervous systems are always at work within your body with one being more in charge at any given time.


I'll start with the "wine and dine" parasympathetic nervous system. This allows you to relax, fall asleep, digest your food, relax and watch a movie.


The sympathetic nervous system "fight or flight" prepares your body for more intense reactions to keep you alive. A good way to think about it is "Mama bear". This nervous system would be in charge if you got in between a mama bear and her cubs...your blood would go to your muscles so you could run away, away from your stomach, because you don't need to break down food when you're trying to run for your life. It also helps you make quicker reactions, and takes blood away from your skin and moves it down into your body so if mama bear slashes you with her claw you don't bleed to death right away. It also makes you sweat, so you can be slippery and slide away from mama bear. This is your problem, your palms sweat a lot. A thoracic sympathectomy basically cuts the sympathetic portion of your nervous system in the thoracic region (the thoracic region of your spine is all the levels of your spine where your ribs come off of). This means you would never have those reactions in the nerves that this procedure was performed on. It might sound good now, but think about how it will be when you're 40-50 years old, and you have other problems because your wine and dine system has been running full blast for this whole time with no fight or flight reaction to calm it down. This might lead to ulcers, digestive problems, blood vessel problems, and other problems. Think about having a lightswitch on for that long, eventually there are going to be some problems right? Also you do need some sweat for your hands to keep them moist and to not dry out and crack. As far as it hurting, I'm not sure how invasive "needlescopic sympathectomy" the surgery is, but I know most sympathectomies are under general anaesthesiae, which means they will make you unconscious to perform the surgery. There is always a risk of complications such as infection, or even deadening the wrong nerve root.





I know it is a very big deal and very frustrating to you, but I suggest you look into other treatments first. Chiropractic is very helpful with balancing the two nervous systems and having them work together more efficiently. If you find a good chiropractor in your area they may be able to resolve your condition without surgery. It may take a few visits, but it is much more safe than having surgery and the long term consequences are much much smaller. Accupuncture has also been known to resolve problems such as this, through a different manner of needles and balancing your body. If you are really interested in finding other treatments I suggest you go to pubmed.gov with a parent or science teacher and search for articles with "Chiropractic" and "reducing palmar hyperhydrosis" as well as "accupuncture" and "reducing palmar hyperhydrosis".


Your problem may just be a result of hormones too, and it may take care of itself in the next 2-3 years, so just consider everything before you make a decision

periwinkle