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What about the websites against the surgery?

First and foremost people considering the surgery should understand the facts.

  • The vast majority of patients experience a higher quality of life after the operation as compared to before the operation. Many studies have been conducted that showed better quality of life (QOL) after ETS.
  • ETS has been around and improved since the early 1990’s. It’s important to choose a doctor who does the surgery on a routine basis and has expert understanding of the physiology involved with this operation.
  • Every surgeon is different with their methods and techniques.
  • Fact – The success rate of the ETS (hands) surgery is 98-99% Dr. Reisfeld has conducted peer review studies documenting the success of this surgery.
  • Fact – The success rate of the ELS (feet) is also in the range of 98%. Dr. Reisfeld has conducted peer review studies documenting the success of this surgery.
  • Dr. Reisfeld speaks with each and every patient carefully evaluating their case.

Among the thousands who have had the operation there will be a certain number of patients who are going to be unhappy with the outcome. It’s important to first understand the many factors that can contribute to this.

Having the surgery done for the wrong reasons:
Among those are patients who had the operation done for clinical situations that ETS is not the best solution for. Dr. Reisfeld believes that ETS should not be done for facial sweating, facial blushing, or isolated axillary hyperhidrosis because of the unsatisfactory end results. Unfortunately there are many doctors, throughout the world, including in the U.S. who will do surgery for the above conditions even though it’s wrong in Dr. Reisfeld’s opinion.

Unfortunately some of those unhappy patients, who had the surgery done for the wrong reasons, are now advocates against the surgery. You have to look at each case carefully to really understand reasons for failure.

Dr. Reisfeld speaks with every single patient carefully evaluating their case. Often he will refuse to do the surgery when he feels that the operation is not best suited for the patient.

The doctor who performs the surgery:
Any doctor who wants to perform ETS should be aware of the right indications to perform that surgery. Besides the basic technical aspects that can be mastered there is a need to understand the basic problem of excessive focal hyperhidrosis and the ultimate results when the operation is performed for the wrong reason. Dr. Reisfeld comes across patients who are experiencing negative side effects from an operation that was not right for them.

Who the patient speaks with before the surgery:
All patients should make sure they speak with the doctor who performs the actual surgery vs. anyone else. Unfortunately in many places this is not being done.

Do not rush into the surgery:
There are various conservative measures that should be considered before doing the surgery. It is a sound recommendation to try those first. See our alternative hyperhidrosis treatments page for more information.

Other topics of interest:

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