Axillary hyperhidrosis: A simple surgical procedure.

A simple method for surgical treatment of excessive sweating of the axilla is presented. The procedure, which is performed under local anesthesia on an outpatient basis, is described in detail. After mapping the sweat gland bearing area with crepe paper, the hyperhidrotic area was excised using a bat-shaped excision. The skin was closed without undermining. This method has been used in 14 consecutive patients (28 axillae) resistant to topical administration of aluminum chloride hexahydrate in ethanol. The postoperative results were excellent in 12 patients and were good in 2. There were three minor wound infections and one case of postoperative bleeding. This procedure is suitable for all patients who need surgical treatment for axillary hyperhidrosis and requires no training in plastic surgery.