Emory Hyperhidrosis Center
Offering medical and surgical methods with high success rates
Overview | Non-Surgical Treatment | Surgical Treatment | Contact
Overview
Co-directed by Dr. Daniel Miller and Dr. Suephy Chen, the Emory Hyperhidrosis Center is a multi-disciplinary program staffed by dermatological specialists and general thoracic surgeons that offers minimally invasive surgery as well as medical, non-surgical methods for treating hyperhidrosis. Part of the only comprehensive Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Center in the southeastern United States, the Hyperhidrosis Center is one of the few programs in the country and the only service in Georgia to offer thoracoscopic sympathectomy, an outpatient procedure that relies on small incisions aided by tiny cameras and specialized surgical instruments.
Non-Surgical Treatment
Depending on the severity of the condition and the patient's overall physical health, the non-surgical approach may be recommended. Also, patients who are new to treatment may prefer to gauge the potential benefits of the following methods:
- Prescription antiperspirants
- Iontophoresis (the delivery of low electrical current to hands or feet submerged in water)
- Medication therapy
- Botox injections
Surgical Treatment: Thoracoscopic Sympathectomy
Covered by many insurance companies after the failure of non-surgical methods, thoracoscopic sympathectomy typically takes less than 30 minutes, involves no stitches and yields excellent success rates. Dr. Miller and Dr. Seth Force, the only surgeons currently performing the procedure in Georgia, have achieved success rates of 99% for the hands, 90% for the armpits and 70-85% for the feet.
As a fellow in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery, Dr. Miller did the first thoracoscopic surgery ever performed at the Mayo Clinic in 1991. During his later years as a Mayo faculty surgeon he focused on refining thoracoscopic surgery for hyperhidrosis. When he arrived at Emory in 2002, Dr. Miller had significantly adapted and refined the basic components of the procedure and began referring to it as microthoracoscopic sympathectomy (MTS), the method of choice for him and Dr. Force.
Primary stages of thoracoscopic sympathectomy:
- With the patient under general anesthesia, the surgeon makes an incision in the armpit
- A 3-mm thoracoscope is inserted into the chest cavity
- The sympathetic nerve along the ribs in the back of the chest is located, then either divided over the second rib for palmar hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating of the palms), over the third rib for axillary hyperhidrosis (armpits), or over both ribs for patients with both types of the condition
- The procedure is then duplicated on the other side of the chest
Dr. Miller's innovations to the procedure:
- Making only one incision for each side of the chest rather than three
- Using 4-mm incisions rather than the standard 10-mm
- Compressing the lungs with carbon dioxide rather than collapsing them
- Not using chest tubes
Contact
There are two options for prospective patients to schedule an initial consultation:
- Contact the General Thoracic Surgery Center clinical office at 404-778-3593.
- Contact Emory HealthConnection at 404-778-7777 or 1-800-75-EMORY (1-800-753-6679), which offers immediate access to information on Emory services and physicians.
Referring physicians have an additional option:
- Call the Emory Physician Consult Line at 404-778-5050 or 1-800-22-EMORY (1-800-223-6679). More information about referring a patient to Emory can be found here.
