Gamze Tanrıkulu, Hüseyin Melek, Tolga Evrim Sevinç, Erhan Özer, Eylem Yentürk, Ahmet Sami Bayram, Cengiz Gebitekin
Current Thoracic Surgery - 2025;10(3):114-123
Background: Compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH) is the most common complication following endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) and significantly impairs quality of life (QOL). This study assesses and compares the QOL before and after our minimal invasive intercostal nerve reconstruction technique (the "Gebitekin Technique", GT) in CH patients. Materials and Methods: Between January 2014 and November 2016, 32 consecutive CH patients underwent GT. Patients' satisfaction levels and demographic parameters were self-assessed before surgery and six months postoperatively using the World Health Organization Quality of Life questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) and institutional questionnaires. Results: A total of 64 surgeries were performed in 32 patients with a mean age of 32.5 +/- 6.77 years. All patients who underwent GT responded to the questionnaires. Improvement of CH symptoms was observed in 24 (75%) patients, along with improvement in dryness in 60%. None of the patients had recurrence of primary hyperhidrosis. Significant (p < 0.05) improvements were observed in all survey sub-areas following surgery. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that GT improves QOL and alleviates related symptoms in the overwhelming majority of patients with CH.
