Ordinarily, the phrase prompts you to reach out and shake someone's hand. About one of every 100 people suffers from hyperhidrosis, which may also be associated with excessive perspiration of the hands, face, soles of the feet, armpits, chest or back. Treatments include lotions, antiperspirants, medications and biofeedback. Yet for some, these remedies were not enough and their only alternative was open surgery. But today, medical advances have made a less invasive surgical treatment available.
Doctors know the symptoms of hyperhidrosis result from an overactive sympathetic nervous system.
This system is responsible for regulating body temperature and controlling production of sweat in glands throughout the body. Key parts of this nervous system run along each side of the spine, where the nerves branch out to the arms and legs. Interrupting these nerve fibers helps cure hyperhidrosis. In the past, surgery for hyperhidrosis required entering through the chest or both sides of the neck. When operating through the chest, surgeons had to spread or separate the ribs, and the patient remained in the hospital for up to a week.