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With an experienced surgeon, excessive blushing and sweating can be dramatically reduced by Endothoracic sympathectomy (ETS surgery) . Erythrobia is the medical term to describe a fear of facial blushing. This often begins in the teenage years and can either occur spontaneously or in reaction to stimuli like meeting new people and is a result of a chemical being released from nerve fibres to the face.

Hyperhydrosis is the medical term used to describe the excessive sweating around the hands, face and armpit areas caused by the body attempting to maintain its normal internal temperature.

Both these conditions can be partially or completely solved by ETS (Endo Transthoracic Sympathectomy) which involves selectively destroying  parts of the symapthetic nerve chain in the chest cavity. The procedure is a relatively short (approximately 40 minutes) minimally invasive one conducted by a Consultant Vascular Surgeon.

In some patients other non-surgical solutions may be appropriate and surgery will be conducted only if these are not appropriate are have proved ineffective.  It is important to discuss individual circumstances, benefits, drawbacks and side-effects with a Consultant before going ahead with any treatment or surgery. You do not need a letter of referral from your GP, though it is advised that he or she should be your first port of call. 

ETS surgery at Highgate Hospital is currently carried out by Mr David Greenstein, Consultant Vascular Surgeon and outpatient appointments, or requests for further information can be made by calling the Outpatient department on 020 8341 4182.