Retrodermal Curettage for Hyperhidrosis

A very different and new form of hyperhidrosis surgery, retrodermal curettage can be performed using a local anaesthetic and involves the removal of the sweat glands from the skin.  It is most often used to treat axillary hyperhidrosis, sweating of the armpits, due to the potential for scars to appear after the procedure.  Retrodermal Curettage has a high success rate, and has been proven to be very successful when treating axillary hyperhidrosis.

It is important that you try other forms of treatment before turning to retrodermal curettage to help with your axillary hyperhidrosis.  Strong antiperspirants and other treatments can have a real impact on such a problem, are less costly than surgery and don’t put you in so great a risk.  Your GP will be able to offer you advise about these options. 

Practitioners

There are only a few skilled surgeons within the UK who practise retrodermal curettage, and they are generally privately based.  It is important to ensure that they have the relevant training, and alike to ETS, that they have a good proven record of successful treatments.  It is possible that your GP might be able to help you to find someone who can perform retrodermal cutterage.  It is likely that in the future more surgeons will offer this form of surgery.

The Retrofermal Curettage Procedure

• You will be given a general or local anaesthetic into the area that is to be treated
• Your surgeon will cut into the skin, and use a specialised tool to remove the sweat glands using a diagonal sweep of the area. 
• You will be given a dose of antibiotic fluid into the incision and the wound is bandaged.  The surgery will last a couple of hours in total if you are having both armpits treated.
• After a few hours you will be able to leave the clinic if supervised, although you will not be able to drive for at least 24 hours after having any form of anaesthetic
• In a couple of days you will be asked to return to the hospital for a check-up visit so that your healing can be monitored and any concerns discussed.  During this appointment you will have your bandages removed.

You ought to notice immediate results and within a few months time the incisions will barely be visible.  You ought to sweat when needed rather than excessively after your retrodermal curettage. 

Cost of Retrodermal Curettage

Retrodermal curettage is currently only available on the NHS in certain areas, and so if you are hoping to have it performed then it is likely that you will have to pay to have it done privately and potentially wait for a long time, as there are very few surgeons who perform the treatment within the UK.  It is likely to cost you around £1000 for treatment on your underarms within the UK. 

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