A new surgical procedure for palmar hyperhidrosis: is it possible to perform endoscopic sympathectomy under deep sedation without intubation?

Palmar hyperhidrosis (PH) is a common dysfunctional disorder, with endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) being the most popular treatment method. However, until now, there is little improvement to this technique. In this paper, we present a new alternative to the conventional surgical method. We performed ETS with flexible thoracoscopy under deep sedation without intubation in 13 patients. All patients were followed up until today. During surgery, the vital signs of the patients remained stable and no intubation was necessary. The operative times ranged between 30 and 40 min. The symptom of PH disappeared postoperatively, and no complications occured. All patients were discharged from the hospital on the second postoperative day. ETS with flexible thoracoscopy under deep sedation without intubation is a safe and effective method.