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What Should I Do if I Have Sweaty Palms and Feet?

There are two separate surgical procedures for each type of excessive sweating. Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy has had a much better success rate for hand sweating vs. foot sweating. Lumbar Sympathectomy procedures have been very effective for excessive foot sweating (plantar hyperhidrosis). The patient should decide which type of sweating is the most bothersome.

Most patients choose to have ETS first. If their hand sweating is not as severe as their foot sweating, then Lumbar Sympathectomy may be the right choice. It is our opinion that ETS should be done first. This is because of the chance that the patient might get some improvement with their foot sweating after doing ETS.

Since endoscopic lumbar sympathectomy (ELS) surgery has a shorter history than ETS, it went through certain refinements, which brought it to the same level of success and safety as ETS. It should be emphasized that very few physicians are doing this procedure, known as ELS, on a routine basis. It behooves the patient to inquire with someone, such as Dr. Reisfeld, who does it on a routine basis.

As always patients must first discuss those issues with their doctor. Dr. Reisfeld is always happy to discuss this with you, as he is one of the only surgeons in the U.S. to be an expert in both procedures.

Learn more about each type of sweating: