Video
Voiceover:
Earlier, Gemma came to the clinic to show Dr Pixie her excessively sweaty hands.
Dr Pixie:
It…it’s dripping! It’s like you’ve put your hands into…into water, actually.
Gemma:
Yeah.
Dr Pixie:
Or you’ve been to the loo and you’ve washed your hands but you haven’t dried them.
Gemma:
Yeah.
Voiceover:
Although there are other solutions to this problem, because Gemma’s case was so severe, her only option was to undergo a surgical procedure. She has come to Wythenshawe Hospital to see vascular expert Mr Mo Baguneid.
Mr Baguneid:
The operation we’re considering here is called endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy. Essentially it involves, uh, dividing a small nerve in the chest, which really is very effective in reducing sweating in the hands. The problem is, about one in five also experience sweating elsewhere, and that’s what we call compensatory sweating. And that can be in the, in the groin, it can be in the belly, it can be in the back. What I tend to suggest in these cases is that your dominant hand, the one that you shake people’s hands with…
Gemma:
Yeah.
Mr Baguneid:
...if we treat that side first, and see the effect you have, and the amount of compensatory sweating you get, from doing both together.
Gemma:
Yeah, I definitely want to do that, I’d rather just do the one first.
Mr Baguneid:
Gemma’s got a condition called hyperhidrosis, basically excessive sweating. Now, we’re all meant to sweat—I mean if you run, you’d expect to sweat. If the excessive sweating occurs at a time when the stimulus…in other words, somebody gets anxious and they sweat very heavily, well, that’s hyperhidrosis, that’s the condition she has at the moment.
Voiceover:
Having taken the decision to go ahead with the operation, the first task for the team is to gain access to the sympathetic nerve in the chest cavity. They start by deflating the right-hand lung.
Mr Baguneid:
We’ll now clamp the right side, and release the lung to activate pressure.
Voiceover:
This is a crucial part, because if Gemma can’t support her breathing on one lung, the operation cannot be performed. Mr Baguneid then cuts a hole under the armpit, and places a port so he can insert a small camera.
Mr Baguneid:
This camera goes in, we’ll see a little bit of lung tissue there. And just above, we’re now inside the lung cavity. And in fact, you can just probably make out, these are, this is the nerve, that white structure next to the vein, the vein being the big blue structure next to it here, on the side. That’s the nerve that we actually need to divide.
Voiceover:
Once the nerve is identified, it is cauterised in two places to stop it working.
Mr Baguneid:
So that’s the procedure complete. What we need to see now is that the lung needs to completely re-expand to fill the cavity up. And you’ll see it now.
Voiceover:
Once the lung is re-inflated, all Gemma needs is a few stitches. Gemma should see an instant result, but will have to check for any compensatory sweating.
Voiceover:
Two weeks later, Gemma’s back to tell Dr Pixie whether she’ll have the other hand done.
Dr Pixie:
So how did you get on with the operation?
Gemma:
Fantastic! Really happy about it, yeah, it’s great.
Dr Pixie:
How…one side or both sides, did you just get one side done?
Gemma:
Just one side done, yeah.
Dr Pixie:
Okay, so tell me what happened.
Gemma:
Um, well, I just went in, it was dead straightforward, tiny little cut, um, under my arm. And basically I woke up and I had a dry hand, it was just fantastic.
Dr Pixie:
Brilliant, can I have a look?
Gemma:
Yup.
Dr Pixie:
That is amazing. It’s so dry. And then this, which has, the one that hasn’t been done is so…wet.
Gemma:
Yup.
Dr Pixie:
Before you had the operation, what I was worried was about compensatory hyperhidrosis.
Gemma:
Yeah, yeah.
Dr Pixie:
Which basically means you sweat elsewhere. Have you had any problems with that, on your face, your back or anything?
Gemma:
No, nothing at all.
Dr Pixie:
Nothing at all.
Gemma:
No, it’s been great.
Dr Pixie:
So are you going to have the other one done?
Gemma:
Yes, definitely, yeah.
Dr Pixie:
Brilliant. And when we met, you were having a really difficult time with your baby, trying to change the baby and everything because of this sweating. Has…has it made a difference?
Gemma:
Yeah, it has made a difference, and it’s just become so much easier, everything. It’s just fantastic, it’s just changed my life completely, and I can imagine that when this one’s done, it’s just going to be great.
Dr Pixie:
Superb.
Gemma:
So, I’m really happy, yeah.
Dr Pixie:
Gemma, lovely to see you back again. Do please keep in touch with me with regard to the other hand.
Gemma:
I will do, thank you very much, cheers!
Dr Pixie:
You’re welcome, it’s been a pleasure, bye-bye.
Gemma:
Bye.
Gemma came to see Dr Pixie with hands that were so sweaty she had to wear gloves to hold her baby in case she dropped her. After seeing a specialist, Gemma decided to undergo surgery to ease the sweating. The nature of this surgery means that sometimes the sweat is directed elsewhere on the body so Gemma decides to only get one hand fixed at a time to see if the sweat will find a new way out. Returning to the surgery Gemma noted the success of the procedure and now plans to have a further op to sort out her left hand too.
Patient Name: Gemma Hudson
Condition: Sweaty Hands
Specialist: Mr Mo Baguneid, Consultant Vascular Surgeon
Hospital: South Manchester University Hospital
Length of procedure: Approx 1 hour
Yes
NoComments and Questions
You can share your experiences and thoughts with other Embarrassing Bodies site-users below. Comments & Questions are reviewed by moderators, but if you see anything on the site that worries you, please report it and one of our moderators will look at it as soon as possible.
Please note: Unfortunately Channel 4 cannot respond to individual inquiries. If you have any concerns, you can check out NHS Choices, but ultimately it is always best to check with a health professional.
On thursday i just had similar surgery to the one in the video! it was avaialbe on the NHS in London. luckily, i have not had any compensatory sweating! my hands just abit swollen and the cuts under armpit are painful. My surgeon must have done a differnt way of doing it as i have 3 cuts instead of 1, but the pain is worth it! hands are so dry!
Just want to add my comments to those already on here. Agree 100% with everything said by Jamie and Simon. There is a lot, lot more to this barbaric procedure then was presented on TV. The ETS surgery (combined with lumbar sympathectomy for foot hpyerhidrosis) has had a devestating effect on my quality of life. The side effects include severe compensatory sweating over most of the body, apart from (as the guys said) normal places like your face, scalp, and forehead. Anyone considering this operation I would advise staying well clear, there are plenty of good, safe options available (e.g. iontophoresis). If I could be a guinea pig for stem cell treatment, nerve regeneration, nerve grafts (anything to get my life back to how it was 12-13 years ago) - I'd do it tommorow. The small benefit of dry hands is simply not worth what I have to go through now on a daily basis. Hope Gemma is okay and not having to go through what myself, Jamie and Simon are.
I had this operation over 10 years ago. The effects were brilliant,instant and life changing - I no longer want to avoid social gatherings and I have improved grip. I do get mild CS but the side effects for me are worth it. I used to suffer from Raynauds and this has also improved greatly since the operation. So much so, I have only had one instance of white fingers. My hand temperature changes are less extreme although one hand is cooler than the other at all times. I would recommend the operation.
I have excessive sweating on my palms and it has made me petrified of social experiences. Also I play the violin and hardly pick it up anymore as playing it is an ordeal for me. I wonder how Gemma is now, as it seems the side effects of ETS take years to show, for that reason I hope there is another alternative.
I have this too and I'm training to be a health professional therefore have a lot of palm to skin contact. I never thought it would trouble me before I started the clinical training. I hate touching warm surfaces e.g. skin, non-absorbant surfaces, wearing latex gloves (since it gets extra hot and sweaty inside) plus all other social problems that comes with it. It's annoying and I really don't want it to stop me from doing what I love doing. I was given Aluminium chloride roll on but stopped using it after a short perod because it felt as if it was not working. I have a clinical practical exam tomorrow. Wonder how that will go!
I'm living in Seoul, Korea.I have problem with my sweating palms if I want to do this operation are there hospitals available in Korea and how much? help me please!
hello i live in ireland, and sweat all the time from the pams,so embarrassing ive tryed all the top clince's in ireland nobody deal's with the pams so they say, can anybody suggest anything??
Most people in the UK use iontophoresis. St Vincents and Antrim hospital do iontophoresis in their dermatology departments. Or you could by an idrostar as most people do
my fingers are sweting not acsessably even when im cold they swet have is there any other way other than having an operation
I had this so called 'miracle operation' 9 years ago and like in Gemma's case it was portrayed as something life changing that I would be mad to refuse. I paid several thousand pounds for mine privately and my life soon took a drastic turn for the worst. Unfortunately I only learnt of the importance of the sympathetic nervous system and the nerve that is cut in ETS and how its needed for vital body functions AFTER the operation! Then its too late, the effects are permanent! I am totally disgusted this programme did not cover the other very real chances of other side effects other than compensatory hyperhidrosis/sweat which I was told may be a mild increase of sweat on my back and stomach however the reality was much worse. I am extremely disturbed many undeducated people may see this glorifying TV programme and look into having this operation without doing their own independent research. I urge anyone thinking of the operation to google something such as 'ETS side effects' to find out the real meaning behind this 'quick, easy and harmless' operation. Unfortunately some side effects do not show up till later down the line so I hope Gemma escaped OK.
I am mailing you to show my disgust that your programme, Embarrasing Illnesses advocated the use of ETS as a 'cure' for hyperhidrosis. I was shocked when all the girl was told of 'side effects' were 1 of 5 would get compensatory sweating (CS). I had ETS done a year ago and was told the same thing but made unawares of the other side effects and also the severity of the CS. Whether I am just sitting in the house, at work or out with mates for no reason I can start sweating profusely from my chest, back and legs....enough to show through clothing. I am also now unable to sweat from anywhere above my nipple line. This inturn means that my scalp is very dry and I have to constantly moisturise to keep my skin hydrated. Also now when I go to the gym or my boxing my t-shirt and shorts will be soaked through but my head completely bone dry, this isn't normal. By destroying the sympathetic nerve chain my body has been inhibited in the amount of adrenaline it can produce and in turn I find it hard to get enthusiatic about anything anymore...but yet, we aren't aware of these side effects at the consultation. I am currently working with a group of people to try and find a reversal for this horific surgery through either stem cells or nerve regeneration. It has totally shattered my life from the clothing I can't wear, to the constant fear of sweating and being judged, the 'zombie like sensation' I now have and the scalp problems attributed to the new sweat pattern.