This is the common name used for the appearance of sweat in other parts of the body after the sympathectomy is complete. Compensatory sweating, also known as (reflex sweating or compensatory hydrosis), can appear on the lower legs, thighs, abdomen, or the back.

Generally speaking, everything from the nipple line up will be dry after ETS. All patients will get some sort of compensatory sweating (compensatory hydrosis or reflex sweating) which does not necessarily have any correlation to the amount of hand sweating that occurred before the operation.

The majority of patients will experience it on a level that is acceptable to them, which we call mild to moderate. Between 3 to 5% of patients will get it on a severe level. The compensatory sweating (compensatory hydrosis or reflex sweating) is a byproduct of the operation, regardless of the method used.