Video-assisted Thoracic Sympathicotomy for the Treatment of XXXX : A 17-Year Experience.

@entity1 @entity1119 @entity3190
PURPOSE:: Advances in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery have allowed endoscopic surgical sympathicotomy to become a viable safe therapy for upper limb @entity1119 . We evaluated if and how this procedure improves the quality of life in @entity1 after a mean follow-up of 9.5 years. METHODS:: Between 1995 and 2013, the senior author performed 1440 upper dorsal sympathicotomies in 720 @entity1 . Questionnaires were submitted to randomized @entity1 , both to evaluate the durability of the results and to assess their quality of life after surgery. RESULTS:: In 46 @entity1 , anatomical distinctive features obscured the sympathetic chain, precluding partial or total completion of the procedure. The other 674 @entity1 reported complete relief of symptoms. A mean follow-up of 9.5 years (range, 2 to 17 y) was carried out on 450 @entity1 : 6 recurrences have been observed, severe @entity3190 was reported in 3 @entity1 , and 441 @entity1 were satisfied with nothing to complain. Furthermore, when comparing presurgery and postsurgery results, a statistically significant difference between most of @entity1 answers came out (P=0.001). CONCLUSION:: According to the data obtained, the procedure we described significantly improves the quality of life of treated @entity1 , also proving the durability of this procedure. DISCUSSION:: Minimally invasive endoscopic transthoracic sympathicotomy has proven to be an effective and durable surgical treatment for severe primary @entity1119 .
