Bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by unilateral access for plantar hyperhidrosis in women.

Abstract Objectives: Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a disorder of excessive, bilateral, and relatively symmetric sweating occurring in the axillae, palms, soles, or craniofacial region. Armpits are affected in 51% of patients, feet in 29%, palms in 25%, and the face in 20%. There is a wide range of nonsurgical and surgical treatments available for patients with focal hyperhidrosis. Surgical treatments for plantar hyperhidrosis include thoracic and/or lumbar sympathectomy. In this article, we report on a new technique of bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by unilateral access for plantar hyperidrosis. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of female patients who presented with plantar hyperhidrosis at the time of surgery and received bilateral retroperitoneoscopic lumbar sympathectomy by a unilateral access technique at our hospital. All patients had already been submitted to a previous thoracic sympathectomy with no improvement of the plantar hyperhidrosis. Results: Five procedures w...