Thoracoscopic sympathectomy: a standardized approach to therapy for hyperhidrosis.

Thoracoscopic sympathectomy has been used for the treatment of sympathetic dysfunction since it was first described in the 1940s. With the advent of video-assisted thoracic surgery, the procedure has become more widely applied. Video-assisted thoracic surgery allows excellent visual acuity as well as the possibility of doing the procedure more quickly and with fewer complications. This article presents a review of existing approaches and techniques as well as the author's summary and preferences. The review of the articles on thoracoscopic sympathectomy only included those from the English literature.