ObjectiveTo investigate the causes of postoperative recurrence in patients with palmar hyperhidrosis and summarize the experience of reoperation. MethodsClinical data were collected from patients who experienced recurrence after surgical treatment for palmar hyperhidrosis at other hospitals between 2020 and 2023, and were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. All patients underwent endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) using a two-port thoracoscopy technique under artificial pneumothorax. The causes of recurrence and outcomes of reoperation were analyzed. ResultsA total of 36 patients (15 males, 21 females) with an average age of (28.25±6.14) years were included. The operative duration was 24-47 (31.04±21.09) minutes. No intraoperative bleeding, postoperative pneumothorax, or Horner's syndrome occurred. Two patients required intraoperative placement of closed thoracic drainage tubes due to severe pleural adhesions. All patients were discharged uneventfully on postoperative day 1. Intraoperative findings revealed the following primary causes of recurrence: incomplete transection of the sympathetic trunk, actual transection level lower than documented during initial surgery, failure to transect adjacent vessels paralleling the nerve trunk, insufficient resection range of lateral branches, and distance between nerve stumps <1 cm. At 1-year follow-up, all patients maintained bilateral hand dryness without recurrence, achieving a 100.0% efficacy rate. However, 15 patients developed new-onset or worsened compensatory hyperhidrosis compared to preoperative status. ConclusionETS is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment modality for recurrent palmar hyperhidrosis.
