About two million Americans–roughly one percent of the population–are affected with a condition call hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. Hyperhidrosis can manifest in the hands, face, underarms, thighs, and other areas of the body.
This condition can be embarrassing, and can cause some people problems with such seemingly simple tasks as shaking hands and holding a pen. Correcting the problem has required surgery and a significant recovery period. But now Dr. Richard Freeman, director of thoracic surgery at St.Vincent Heart Center of Indiana, has pioneered a minimally invasive procedure offering a lifelong cure.
Video Assisted Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy (VATS) is an outpatient procedure that offers a permanent solution to hyperhidrosis with less pain and scarring and shorter recovery time. The procedure employs a tiny camera and a cauterizing device that burns the nerve endings that cause the problem. Surgery requires a general anesthetic, but only two five–millimeter incisions on either side of the chest.
In the past, surgeons made three one-inch incisions and snipped the nerves–a procedure that required a three–week recovery period. VATS offers a greatly reduced recovery time, with comparable outcomes.
For more clinical information regarding hyperhidrosis treatment, contact Dr. Richard Freeman at info@corvascmds.com.