Go to Stanford, they have smarter and effective surgeons. They don't mess with the lumbar or use ELS procedure to cure sweaty feet. Patients who come to Stanford have surgical options that are not widely available in the medical community, or even at many other academic centers. Am I the only person in the entire Hyperhidrosis Forum who successfully got cured of BOTH sweaty hands and feet after going through just one VATS (Video Assisted Thoracic Sympathectomy) procedure? It's shocking to find out how many surgeons there are in the world who still don't know about procedures and different techniques used successfully for years by more competent and more knowledgeable surgeons. Just because a surgeon has had 1000s of patients doesn't make them an expert. I have consulted with several thoracic surgeons in California specializing in hyperhidrosis and they all seem to agree with every other thoracic surgeon in the world that ELS is the only way to go to cure sweaty feet. Not at Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. They have discovered that sweaty hands and feet can be cured during the same operation at the thoracic level from one minor surgery! Only the thoracic or "T" nerves come into play. I was completely dumbfounded, confused but I couldn't be any happier because that meant I could be cured of sweaty palms, armpits and feet from just ONE operation! How cool was that?! The inconvenience, headaches, and the added expense that would go away because ELS for feet was no longer an option! My surgeon was able to cut/sever the "T" nerves that controlled the sweating of the hands, armpits and feet from the same incision on both sides (2 small barely visible scars the size of baby peas under each of my armpit, a total of 4 tiny dots), without going through the lumbar region or ELS. There was no lumbar or "L" nerve involved during the procedure for the feet. My feet have been completely dry ever since my surgery! Interestingly, they only charge for each side of the body treated not per palm/foot like most hospitals charge patients. Unlike many doctors around the world who claim expertise on hyperhidrosis, Stanford surgeons DO NOT believe in clamping any nerve whatsoever and they do not recommend it to anyone going through ETS. I no longer have sweaty hands, armpits and feet and it was done from only ONE VATS procedure!!! ELS was NEVER discussed in my meetings with the Stanford team. At Stanford, VATS is an outpatient procedure so I was able to go home within a couple hours after surgery. The only immediate side-effect I experienced after surgery was a little soreness around the wound area and nausea from the anesthesia. I experienced compensatory sweating around my abdomen and legs during sleeping hours which eventually went away for about 3-4 months but I wasn't bothered by it as much as some people. Now, I sweat like a normal person when I exercise and eat spicy foods, but that happens to normal people and I don't mind it AT ALL. If you ask anyone suffering from hyperhidrosis, they'll agree that NOTHING is worse than having sweaty hands and feet!! My days of wet armpits, palms and soaking, smelly feet are completely over FOREVER! I've had no problems whatsoever and it's been 4 years since I've had the VATS procedure done and I have to say, I've never been more happier and confident in my entire life! So if you would rather kill 2 birds (palms and feet) with 1 stone and no ELS, go with Stanford Hospitals and Clinics. Their understanding of science of body and medicine go beyond common knowledge and they're always ranked among top 5 hospitals in the US year after year:
Stanford Hospitals and Clinics
Thoracic Surgery Clinic
875 Blake Wilbur Drive
Palo Alto, CA
Tel: 650-498-6000
Website: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical- ... eated.html
VATS Info: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical- ... ctomy.html