I had ETS surgery in July 2000. I had sweaty hands for a few years and got the nerve to ask my primary physician if anything could be done. He gave me beta blockers which didnt do much and then sent me to a dermatologist. All they could do was prescribe me Drysol and told me about Drionic. The Drysol didnt help so I began researching Drionic. When I found out the machine wasnt covered by insurance I didnt have confidence it would help me. Not trying Drionic and also Botox was a big mistake. I asked my doctor if he had any other ideas. He sent me to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical center. He trumpeted the center which gave me confidence. Its an academic and research institution. I was excited to believe they actually knew what my problem was and even had a cure. Beforehand I had found a couple of websites that glorified the ETS procedure. These websites were sponsored by Dr. Garza in Houston and Dr. Reisfeld in Los Angeles. Sure enough all the testimonials sounded like me. Every one of their patients had fantastic outcomes. Not one bad testimonial. I thought this was it, definitely what I needed. Why do Botox treatments I thought if this procedure did the same thing and was permanent? At least thats what I thought was the case. Im sure once I had a consultation that would verify what I thought.
My wife couldnt be with me at the consultation but asked me if I knew what questions to ask. I told her I would make sure it wouldnt affect my head sweating. I was confused by the fact that some people had this surgery for facial HH. I just wanted to make sure that the procedure definitely only treated my HH and not normal facial sweating. You see I loved running. It was my best method of natural escape. Escape from the stresses of life, my time to be alone with my thoughts. I would usually run 5 to 6 miles every day at lunch. While all my co-workers were feasting on lunches that expanded their waistlines, I was out escaping into my own world of ecstatic adrenaline rushes. For those that dont exert themselves physically for enjoyment, its hard to explain the feeling I had after running or hard exercise. Usually I would find a secluded spot and meditate for a few minutes, the adrenaline rushing through my body, sweat dripping like rain off my brow. I was in heaven. After a run it was easy to complete a day. It put me at peace.
I went to UT Southwestern to have a consultation with a Dr. Dan Meyer. He is a thoracic surgeon. After a minute of chatting about the embarrassment of hand sweat and initially talking about ETS I raised my most important question. I like running and sweating from my head.Does this affect the way I sweat?. I dont think I could have asked a better question. At the time I didnt know if it would be a stupid question because I really didnt know what I was getting into. Dr. Meyer responded with a shake of his head left to right. No I thought.Oh good!! Well I almost felt stupid asking the question, because he elaborated on nothing. No other issues were brought up from my question. He asked no questions about my lifestyle. No questions about toleration of heat and living in Texas. My thought after this was that if it doesnt affect my normal sweating then I could handle any minor side effects for a while.
I really didnt understand the procedure. He said they would use a scope and cauterize a nerve. We moved on to discussing side effects. He talked about compensatory sweating. I knew of this because of the websites I had researched. But the doctors on the websites said the CS was minimal and went away eventually. Talking about CS I asked Dr. Meyer It goes away, right?. He responded Yes. I was curious about the quantity of CS and asked him,So it only comes from the hands? I thought this because earlier he had confirmed to me that my normal sweating wouldnt be affected. Again he responded with a Yes. So far so good I thought. So far no show stoppers as far as I could perceive.
He mentioned gustatory sweating and horners as well. But the chances of these occurring were very minimal he said. Again I got the impression that even if I got these low risk side effects that they were temporary.
These were all the side affects he mentioned. I was never given anything to read about the surgery. So in the end I believed there were no long term side effects. I thought that this surgery affected only my hands. I thought that my normal sweating would not be affected. I even believed my hands would sweat normally during exercise. How could I not believe this after his response to my running question? During the consultation he started asking me what my calendar looked like. Wow! I thought. This is great. Its paid by insurance so it must be medically safe, and this Dr. is anxious to help me. I mentioned Id be on vacation during the July holiday. It was a simple procedure and outpatient so I could give up one day I thought. Sounds good I said. Leaving the office he respondedWe can help you. A last bit a reassurance.
I was ecstatic. I couldnt wait to schedule the surgery. My wife asked me how it went. I said Great.! I guess this is what I need. I rarely thought about the surgery leading up to it. I almost was comparing it to going to the dentist and getting a root canal. I figured this was going to get rid of a bad nerve in my body so I could put up with a little pain for a few days.
The day of the surgery was kind of exciting. I had no fear. This was because I was ignorant to what was about to happen. I have regrettable flashback images to this day of the events that occurred. Going to the hospital, talking to reassuring attendants, and even laughing with the anesthesiologist about maybe I should drink margaritas instead of taking gas. I dream of seeing myself sitting in the pre-op room all hooked up almost ready to go. Sometimes I fantasize approaching myself and talking Timthis isnt what you think this is. You need to get out of here.. But then thats just a dream. I only met Dr. Meyer again right before going under. He merely wanted me to initial a consent form I had signed. He didnt bother to review anything on it, he just wanted an initial. There was nothing new on the form so I initialed it. It said nothing of loss of complete sweating or any other side effects that have plagued me to this day. At the time it felt strange the way he asked. I shouldve acted on my instinct. Perhaps I couldve had him elaborate one more time on the effects. Everyone was there looking at me ready to go to surgery. I thought I knew everything there was to know. I wish I hadnt been so nave.
Something bad happened during the surgery. I awoke almost four hours later bewildered. I was confused because several people were talking. I remember them mentioning not to be alarmed. They were talking about my hand. The anesthesiologist had failed to monitor the IV for drugs going into my body during the surgery. The problem was the IV wasnt in a vein. They told me a lot of the drug swelled my hand up like a balloon. They kept me under until the swelling had decreased. But this was only the beginning of my problems. I couldnt breathe very well. I had a sad empty feeling. A feeling of loneliness, like what am I doing here kind of feeling. I just wanted to be with my family, away from this place. The feeling was one of an evil presence. A change had taken place in me that I was only beginning to understand. At the time I attributed it to being put under. But later I would understand the full effect of this surgery and how it affects how you feel as a human being. This surgery didnt take my soul, but it definitely injured it.
This was not a minimally invasive surgery. I have never experienced this much pain in my life. I cant believe they let me go home in my condition. I could walk, but stubbornly. They said if I could go to the restroom I could go home. I hate hospitals so I forced myself to somehow go to the restroom. That was so painful. It took well over half an hour just to walk maybe twenty feet and then go back to my bed. After this they let me go home. At home I couldnt breathe well again. I felt like I was drowning. I recall screaming in agony when I needed medicine. This was much more post op than I had bargained for.
The second day after surgery I awoke freezing. I thought my wife must have cranked down the air conditioning. I was so cold and trembling. I had never felt like this. I had to get into a hot shower to warm myself up. It turned out not to be the air conditioning. The problem persisted. Usually within an hour or two of being in room temperature I would start to freeze. As if I was outside in the winter without a shirt on. This was unbearable. Surely this would pass. What was wrong with me?.
The fourth day after surgery it was time for me to start living normally, so I thought. I wanted to get outside and do some yard work. I did as much as I could until the pain got to me and I came inside. I wasnt paying attention to my sweating outside. I recall going to take a shower and looking in the mirror. I was horrified at what I saw. I was completely soaked below my nipple line and completely dry above it. I just stood there in shock. What the fu!#@@!!!. My worst nightmare had now become a reality. What I had feared the most, losing my normal sweating, was exactly what this surgery affected. This was completely opposite of everything that had been told to me by Dr. Meyer in the consultation. I cant describe my feelings at that point. Then the realization of having lost my ability to sweat when I run hit me. Losing something that I had loved so much, something that made me the person I was. A part of me died suddenly.
I would never be the same person I was before surgery. The one post op appointment I had was devastating. I didnt want to go. This man had lied to my face and taken advantage of me. But then what was I to do. No one else knows what happened to me. I had to go to perhaps get some positive information. I wanted to rant. Dr. Meyer came in the room and immediately began referring to my hands. I changed to subject to my thermoregulation problem, to my excessive sweaty feet. I was trying to get a reassurance that this was temporary, that it would all go away. I was so disturbed by my thermoregulation at the time that thats what I talked most about. He started to become agitated by my behavior. He merely said no patients had ever complained about feeling cold. He sat down and became stoned quiet. I broached the idea of what had happened to my hand as affecting my thermoregulation. I was searching for answers but he wasnt giving me any. I felt dead. Here my health had been ruined, and Im sitting in a room with the guy that did it and he cant help me. What could I ask now? What could he say to help? The damage was done. I remember vividly my last words to Dr. Meyer before he walked out on me. Is sweating the only side effect?. Im not even sure what answer I was expecting. I didnt know what to say anymore. He got up and coldly responded Lets see how you feel in a few weeks., then he walked out on me. He didnt care to talk to me anymore. He had had enough of me. I sat there in my dead body. This isnt happening I thought. How could my health be taken from me so easily? Why was he not doing anything? What did I do to deserve this? How could he just walk out on me? I was a dead man walking out of that office. After spending a few minutes trying to get my shirt on by myself, as I still had severe chest pain, I then walked slowly away. A sloshing sound could be heard from my soaked shoes. I was by now shivering from cold. But now it wasnt just my body that was cold, but also the people I had trusted to help me.
I wasnt even able to try running until a couple of months after surgery. I even tried to run in the middle of the day at work. This became impossible. There was massive sweating of my whole body below my chest. My hands, arms, head and chest stay completely dry. Not only dry but my upper body stays cold. No heat is generated in my upper body during any physical activity. I cant begin to describe the abnormal sensation. This is especially depressing for someone that used to thrive on physical activity. It takes more than an hour after running for my lower body to cool down and begin to stop sweating. The adrenaline rushes are gone. I dont run races anymore. This was once an essential part of my life that enhanced my quality of life. Why was my lifestyle not important to Dr. Meyer? It shouldve been. Not one question was asked about my lifestyle, or an affect this surgery could have on a persons quality of life. The issue was never raised.
I was also an avid golfer before surgery. I remember the first time I tried to take my son to the golf course after surgery. I prayed that I could play. My hands were so dry I could barely hold a club. It was about 85 degrees, a very nice day for Texas. I hit maybe twenty balls practicing and realized the day would be short. The CS just rained down my body. I was completely soaked within a half hour. I felt hopeless, numb. I wanted to end my life. How could such a simple procedure cause such devastation? I just told my young son I didnt feel well. I could see the sadness in his eyes. This surgery was now affecting others. I had tears driving home.
My summers are now lost. My outdoor lifestyle was taken from me. I cant golf, coach my childrens sport teams, go camping or hiking in comfort, run races, enjoy an active lifestyle. I cant even go to baseball games. Special clothing doesn't help. Other medications don't work to prevent this effect, and are dangerous. I live in one of the hottest states in the nation and received no warning about how debilitating the CS side effect could be. Cold weather is not anymore tolerable. Because my body is so sensitive to temperature changes, a cool day can be very uncomfortable for me. My body just doesnt react to the environment anymore.
ETS has not only prevented sweating in my upper body, but its removed all the natural moisture thats necessary for healthy skin. My upper body skin is very dry. I find it hard to grasp and hold items. I have persistent dandruff and dry scalp. My skin is now a different texture. At least once a month I have to sit in a hot shower to soften the dry skin on top of my head. Only then can I scratch it off. Its more dangerous in the sun than before ETS. I have premature graying and loss of hair. My eye prescription changed after surgery. I was unable to continue wearing contact lenses. My eye doctor tried in vain to fit me with a pair, but in the end my eyes were just to dry to wear them. Ive switched back to glasses. Its ironic that I needed contacts because I enjoyed running so much. It didnt matter anymore now.
A specialist from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda MA, which I visited for a week of tests, said ETS eliminated the pathways that allow for vasodilatation of the arteries and veins in my upper body. This is why I have bad thermoregulation now. Hence I get no blood flow or heat dissipation even from my head. The innervation in my lower body over compensates for this loss. This over compensation is something that will never go away.
The sympathetic chain also innervates the heart, this autonomic innervation is important for the control of the heart pulse to react to the bodys amount of activity. Due to the nerve that was cut out, T2, I lost almost all of the sympathetic innervation to my heart. My pulse dropped from a resting rate in the 60s before surgery to the mid 40s after surgery. This affects my bodys ability to reach a maximum heart rate during exercise. My stamina has been affected. I was told nothing about this before or after surgery. An NIH pet scan confirmed loss of sympathetic nerves just short of complete autonomic failure. Im patient #3 on the diagram from the link below:
p069.ezboard.com/fetsandreversalsfrm16.showMessage?topicID=361.topic
The link below is from the UT Southwestern website. It markets Dr. Meyer as a pioneer. I would like to point out the comment made about CS. Notice how it is stated that the CS condition occurs when the body compensates for the loss of cooling through sweating of the hands by increasing perspiration in other areas such as in the lower back and abdomen. Only the hands! Nothing is mentioned about complete upper body non-sweating causing the CS. This is identical to the deception I experienced in my consultation. I also learned that Dr. Ahn also did residency at UT Southwestern. Perhaps they cross trained each other on patient care:
www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept146133/files/165015.html
I found out Dr. Meyer is an avid runner himself. He boasts about running with former, non-ets, patients. I can guarantee that I am one patient hell never be able to run with and this after a supposedly successful surgery. How could he perform this surgery on me when I had told him I enjoy running? Didnt he care what affect this surgery would have on my lifestyle?
The psychological affect of this surgery is devastating. Depression is hard to combat. I had suicidal thoughts much after surgery. I feel I was taken advantage of. Hyperhidrosis was an occasional embarrassment, but I now have physical disabilities. I'm paying a huge price. The trade-off was enormous. Im unable to live the same standard and quality of life I had before the surgery. This also doesnt just affect me. It affects my wife, children, and friends. It changes my outlook on my future. I cant envision an active future with my present condition. I never understood the risk I was taking. I should have completely known all the risks and issues surrounding this procedure. There are no excuses for me not to know. Obviously Dr. Meyer doesnt take disclosure and the best interests of the patient very seriously. The way I was treated was unprofessional and unethical. I hope whatever reason compromised my health was worth it. To a doctor this is a great revenue generating surgery. It will affect me for the rest of my life.
Take Care,
Tim
My wife couldnt be with me at the consultation but asked me if I knew what questions to ask. I told her I would make sure it wouldnt affect my head sweating. I was confused by the fact that some people had this surgery for facial HH. I just wanted to make sure that the procedure definitely only treated my HH and not normal facial sweating. You see I loved running. It was my best method of natural escape. Escape from the stresses of life, my time to be alone with my thoughts. I would usually run 5 to 6 miles every day at lunch. While all my co-workers were feasting on lunches that expanded their waistlines, I was out escaping into my own world of ecstatic adrenaline rushes. For those that dont exert themselves physically for enjoyment, its hard to explain the feeling I had after running or hard exercise. Usually I would find a secluded spot and meditate for a few minutes, the adrenaline rushing through my body, sweat dripping like rain off my brow. I was in heaven. After a run it was easy to complete a day. It put me at peace.
I went to UT Southwestern to have a consultation with a Dr. Dan Meyer. He is a thoracic surgeon. After a minute of chatting about the embarrassment of hand sweat and initially talking about ETS I raised my most important question. I like running and sweating from my head.Does this affect the way I sweat?. I dont think I could have asked a better question. At the time I didnt know if it would be a stupid question because I really didnt know what I was getting into. Dr. Meyer responded with a shake of his head left to right. No I thought.Oh good!! Well I almost felt stupid asking the question, because he elaborated on nothing. No other issues were brought up from my question. He asked no questions about my lifestyle. No questions about toleration of heat and living in Texas. My thought after this was that if it doesnt affect my normal sweating then I could handle any minor side effects for a while.
I really didnt understand the procedure. He said they would use a scope and cauterize a nerve. We moved on to discussing side effects. He talked about compensatory sweating. I knew of this because of the websites I had researched. But the doctors on the websites said the CS was minimal and went away eventually. Talking about CS I asked Dr. Meyer It goes away, right?. He responded Yes. I was curious about the quantity of CS and asked him,So it only comes from the hands? I thought this because earlier he had confirmed to me that my normal sweating wouldnt be affected. Again he responded with a Yes. So far so good I thought. So far no show stoppers as far as I could perceive.
He mentioned gustatory sweating and horners as well. But the chances of these occurring were very minimal he said. Again I got the impression that even if I got these low risk side effects that they were temporary.
These were all the side affects he mentioned. I was never given anything to read about the surgery. So in the end I believed there were no long term side effects. I thought that this surgery affected only my hands. I thought that my normal sweating would not be affected. I even believed my hands would sweat normally during exercise. How could I not believe this after his response to my running question? During the consultation he started asking me what my calendar looked like. Wow! I thought. This is great. Its paid by insurance so it must be medically safe, and this Dr. is anxious to help me. I mentioned Id be on vacation during the July holiday. It was a simple procedure and outpatient so I could give up one day I thought. Sounds good I said. Leaving the office he respondedWe can help you. A last bit a reassurance.
I was ecstatic. I couldnt wait to schedule the surgery. My wife asked me how it went. I said Great.! I guess this is what I need. I rarely thought about the surgery leading up to it. I almost was comparing it to going to the dentist and getting a root canal. I figured this was going to get rid of a bad nerve in my body so I could put up with a little pain for a few days.
The day of the surgery was kind of exciting. I had no fear. This was because I was ignorant to what was about to happen. I have regrettable flashback images to this day of the events that occurred. Going to the hospital, talking to reassuring attendants, and even laughing with the anesthesiologist about maybe I should drink margaritas instead of taking gas. I dream of seeing myself sitting in the pre-op room all hooked up almost ready to go. Sometimes I fantasize approaching myself and talking Timthis isnt what you think this is. You need to get out of here.. But then thats just a dream. I only met Dr. Meyer again right before going under. He merely wanted me to initial a consent form I had signed. He didnt bother to review anything on it, he just wanted an initial. There was nothing new on the form so I initialed it. It said nothing of loss of complete sweating or any other side effects that have plagued me to this day. At the time it felt strange the way he asked. I shouldve acted on my instinct. Perhaps I couldve had him elaborate one more time on the effects. Everyone was there looking at me ready to go to surgery. I thought I knew everything there was to know. I wish I hadnt been so nave.
Something bad happened during the surgery. I awoke almost four hours later bewildered. I was confused because several people were talking. I remember them mentioning not to be alarmed. They were talking about my hand. The anesthesiologist had failed to monitor the IV for drugs going into my body during the surgery. The problem was the IV wasnt in a vein. They told me a lot of the drug swelled my hand up like a balloon. They kept me under until the swelling had decreased. But this was only the beginning of my problems. I couldnt breathe very well. I had a sad empty feeling. A feeling of loneliness, like what am I doing here kind of feeling. I just wanted to be with my family, away from this place. The feeling was one of an evil presence. A change had taken place in me that I was only beginning to understand. At the time I attributed it to being put under. But later I would understand the full effect of this surgery and how it affects how you feel as a human being. This surgery didnt take my soul, but it definitely injured it.
This was not a minimally invasive surgery. I have never experienced this much pain in my life. I cant believe they let me go home in my condition. I could walk, but stubbornly. They said if I could go to the restroom I could go home. I hate hospitals so I forced myself to somehow go to the restroom. That was so painful. It took well over half an hour just to walk maybe twenty feet and then go back to my bed. After this they let me go home. At home I couldnt breathe well again. I felt like I was drowning. I recall screaming in agony when I needed medicine. This was much more post op than I had bargained for.
The second day after surgery I awoke freezing. I thought my wife must have cranked down the air conditioning. I was so cold and trembling. I had never felt like this. I had to get into a hot shower to warm myself up. It turned out not to be the air conditioning. The problem persisted. Usually within an hour or two of being in room temperature I would start to freeze. As if I was outside in the winter without a shirt on. This was unbearable. Surely this would pass. What was wrong with me?.
The fourth day after surgery it was time for me to start living normally, so I thought. I wanted to get outside and do some yard work. I did as much as I could until the pain got to me and I came inside. I wasnt paying attention to my sweating outside. I recall going to take a shower and looking in the mirror. I was horrified at what I saw. I was completely soaked below my nipple line and completely dry above it. I just stood there in shock. What the fu!#@@!!!. My worst nightmare had now become a reality. What I had feared the most, losing my normal sweating, was exactly what this surgery affected. This was completely opposite of everything that had been told to me by Dr. Meyer in the consultation. I cant describe my feelings at that point. Then the realization of having lost my ability to sweat when I run hit me. Losing something that I had loved so much, something that made me the person I was. A part of me died suddenly.
I would never be the same person I was before surgery. The one post op appointment I had was devastating. I didnt want to go. This man had lied to my face and taken advantage of me. But then what was I to do. No one else knows what happened to me. I had to go to perhaps get some positive information. I wanted to rant. Dr. Meyer came in the room and immediately began referring to my hands. I changed to subject to my thermoregulation problem, to my excessive sweaty feet. I was trying to get a reassurance that this was temporary, that it would all go away. I was so disturbed by my thermoregulation at the time that thats what I talked most about. He started to become agitated by my behavior. He merely said no patients had ever complained about feeling cold. He sat down and became stoned quiet. I broached the idea of what had happened to my hand as affecting my thermoregulation. I was searching for answers but he wasnt giving me any. I felt dead. Here my health had been ruined, and Im sitting in a room with the guy that did it and he cant help me. What could I ask now? What could he say to help? The damage was done. I remember vividly my last words to Dr. Meyer before he walked out on me. Is sweating the only side effect?. Im not even sure what answer I was expecting. I didnt know what to say anymore. He got up and coldly responded Lets see how you feel in a few weeks., then he walked out on me. He didnt care to talk to me anymore. He had had enough of me. I sat there in my dead body. This isnt happening I thought. How could my health be taken from me so easily? Why was he not doing anything? What did I do to deserve this? How could he just walk out on me? I was a dead man walking out of that office. After spending a few minutes trying to get my shirt on by myself, as I still had severe chest pain, I then walked slowly away. A sloshing sound could be heard from my soaked shoes. I was by now shivering from cold. But now it wasnt just my body that was cold, but also the people I had trusted to help me.
I wasnt even able to try running until a couple of months after surgery. I even tried to run in the middle of the day at work. This became impossible. There was massive sweating of my whole body below my chest. My hands, arms, head and chest stay completely dry. Not only dry but my upper body stays cold. No heat is generated in my upper body during any physical activity. I cant begin to describe the abnormal sensation. This is especially depressing for someone that used to thrive on physical activity. It takes more than an hour after running for my lower body to cool down and begin to stop sweating. The adrenaline rushes are gone. I dont run races anymore. This was once an essential part of my life that enhanced my quality of life. Why was my lifestyle not important to Dr. Meyer? It shouldve been. Not one question was asked about my lifestyle, or an affect this surgery could have on a persons quality of life. The issue was never raised.
I was also an avid golfer before surgery. I remember the first time I tried to take my son to the golf course after surgery. I prayed that I could play. My hands were so dry I could barely hold a club. It was about 85 degrees, a very nice day for Texas. I hit maybe twenty balls practicing and realized the day would be short. The CS just rained down my body. I was completely soaked within a half hour. I felt hopeless, numb. I wanted to end my life. How could such a simple procedure cause such devastation? I just told my young son I didnt feel well. I could see the sadness in his eyes. This surgery was now affecting others. I had tears driving home.
My summers are now lost. My outdoor lifestyle was taken from me. I cant golf, coach my childrens sport teams, go camping or hiking in comfort, run races, enjoy an active lifestyle. I cant even go to baseball games. Special clothing doesn't help. Other medications don't work to prevent this effect, and are dangerous. I live in one of the hottest states in the nation and received no warning about how debilitating the CS side effect could be. Cold weather is not anymore tolerable. Because my body is so sensitive to temperature changes, a cool day can be very uncomfortable for me. My body just doesnt react to the environment anymore.
ETS has not only prevented sweating in my upper body, but its removed all the natural moisture thats necessary for healthy skin. My upper body skin is very dry. I find it hard to grasp and hold items. I have persistent dandruff and dry scalp. My skin is now a different texture. At least once a month I have to sit in a hot shower to soften the dry skin on top of my head. Only then can I scratch it off. Its more dangerous in the sun than before ETS. I have premature graying and loss of hair. My eye prescription changed after surgery. I was unable to continue wearing contact lenses. My eye doctor tried in vain to fit me with a pair, but in the end my eyes were just to dry to wear them. Ive switched back to glasses. Its ironic that I needed contacts because I enjoyed running so much. It didnt matter anymore now.
A specialist from the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda MA, which I visited for a week of tests, said ETS eliminated the pathways that allow for vasodilatation of the arteries and veins in my upper body. This is why I have bad thermoregulation now. Hence I get no blood flow or heat dissipation even from my head. The innervation in my lower body over compensates for this loss. This over compensation is something that will never go away.
The sympathetic chain also innervates the heart, this autonomic innervation is important for the control of the heart pulse to react to the bodys amount of activity. Due to the nerve that was cut out, T2, I lost almost all of the sympathetic innervation to my heart. My pulse dropped from a resting rate in the 60s before surgery to the mid 40s after surgery. This affects my bodys ability to reach a maximum heart rate during exercise. My stamina has been affected. I was told nothing about this before or after surgery. An NIH pet scan confirmed loss of sympathetic nerves just short of complete autonomic failure. Im patient #3 on the diagram from the link below:
p069.ezboard.com/fetsandreversalsfrm16.showMessage?topicID=361.topic
The link below is from the UT Southwestern website. It markets Dr. Meyer as a pioneer. I would like to point out the comment made about CS. Notice how it is stated that the CS condition occurs when the body compensates for the loss of cooling through sweating of the hands by increasing perspiration in other areas such as in the lower back and abdomen. Only the hands! Nothing is mentioned about complete upper body non-sweating causing the CS. This is identical to the deception I experienced in my consultation. I also learned that Dr. Ahn also did residency at UT Southwestern. Perhaps they cross trained each other on patient care:
www8.utsouthwestern.edu/utsw/cda/dept146133/files/165015.html
I found out Dr. Meyer is an avid runner himself. He boasts about running with former, non-ets, patients. I can guarantee that I am one patient hell never be able to run with and this after a supposedly successful surgery. How could he perform this surgery on me when I had told him I enjoy running? Didnt he care what affect this surgery would have on my lifestyle?
The psychological affect of this surgery is devastating. Depression is hard to combat. I had suicidal thoughts much after surgery. I feel I was taken advantage of. Hyperhidrosis was an occasional embarrassment, but I now have physical disabilities. I'm paying a huge price. The trade-off was enormous. Im unable to live the same standard and quality of life I had before the surgery. This also doesnt just affect me. It affects my wife, children, and friends. It changes my outlook on my future. I cant envision an active future with my present condition. I never understood the risk I was taking. I should have completely known all the risks and issues surrounding this procedure. There are no excuses for me not to know. Obviously Dr. Meyer doesnt take disclosure and the best interests of the patient very seriously. The way I was treated was unprofessional and unethical. I hope whatever reason compromised my health was worth it. To a doctor this is a great revenue generating surgery. It will affect me for the rest of my life.
Take Care,
Tim
