OBJECTIVE: To discuss the method to repair the defects of palm with the improved flaps pedicled with the dorsal carpal branch of ulnar artery. METHODS: The improved flaps were designed on the basis of anatomical distribution of the dorsal carpal branch of ulnar artery and the medial antebrechial cutaneous nerve, the ulnar artery was ligated and cut at the beginning of its dorsal carpal branch. The flap pedicled with dorsal carpal branch including the distal ulnar artery was achieved and applied clinically to repair 15 cases of the skin and soft tissue defects of palm from August 1997 to November 2001. The size of flaps ranged from 7 cm x 5 cm to 12 cm x 8 cm. RESULTS: All of the cases were followed up 3 weeks to 6 months, and the flaps completely survived. There was no ischemia and necrosis at the distal part of flaps and the appearance and function was satisfactory. CONCLUSION: The improved flap has long vascular pedicle, abundant blood supply and sensitive sensation, so it can be used to repair defect of palm.
OBJECTIVE To study the compression factor and clinical manifestation of the compression of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve. METHODS Anatomic study was done on both sides of 2 cadavers and 6 cases of hand injury in the debridement, the origin, course, branch of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve were observed. From 1995 to 1998, 12 patients of compression of the palmar cutaneous branch were treated by local blockade injection. Among them, there were 8 males and 4 females, aged from 23 to 65 years and the course of disease ranged 3 to 12 months. RESULTS The palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve was (1.3 +/- 0.1) mm in diameter, it could be pulled when the wrist dorsi-extension. All cases showed good recovery of hand function and no recurrence after 4 to 12 months follow-up. CONCLUSION The palmar cutaneous branch compression syndrome is closely related to the local anatomy. The diagnosis is definite according to the clinical symptoms and signs, and local blocking is effective on the most patients.
In order to seek a good method to treat the severe, complex damage of the digital flexor tendon, an anatomical study based on 30 cadavers was done, and the result showed that the source of the blood supply to the palmaris longus tendon was from the radial and ulnar arteries. Three cases of severe complex digital flexor tendon injuries were satisfactory. Its main advantages were: (1) The tendon transplant had its own blood supply and had no need to the revascularization, therefore the adhesion formed between the tendon and adjacent tisues might be less;(2) Besides reparing the tendon defect, it can simultaneously solve the problem of the defect of the soft tissues and the skin.
ObjectiveTo compare the short- and long-term effects of R4 versus R3+R4 endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy (ETS) for acrohyperhidrosis. MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with acrohyperhidrosis admitted to the Department of Thoracic Surgery of Gansu Provincial Hospital for surgical treatment from April 2014 to April 2021. The patients were divided into two groups according to the methods of ETS, including a R4 group and a R3+R4 group. Perioperative clinical data and postoperative follow-up data were collected to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of the two groups. ResultsA total of 155 eligible patients were included. There were 60 patients in the R4 group, including 23 males and 37 females, with a mean age of 22.55±2.74 years. There were 95 patients in the R3+R4 group, including 40 males and 55 females, with a mean age of 23.14±3.65 years. There were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of baseline indicators such as gender, age and positive family history (P>0.05). Total operative time was 38.67±5.20 min in the R4 group and 40.05±5.18 min in the R3+R4 group; intraoperative bleeding was 7.25±3.25 mL in the R4 group and 7.95±3.90 mL in the R3+R4 group; postoperative hospital stay was 1.28±0.52 d in the R4 group and 1.38±0.57 d in the R3+R4 group, the differences between the two groups in the above indicators were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Postoperative hand hyperhidrosis symptoms were significantly relieved in both groups, and the complete remission rate was better in the R3+R4 group than that in the R4 group (98.0% vs. 93.3%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.358). The R3+R4 group was superior to the R4 group in terms of the relief of plantar hyperhidrosis symptoms, patient satisfaction and quality of life index at 6 months postoperatively (P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the overall incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis at 12 months postoperatively between the two groups (P=0.867), but the incidence of compensatory hyperhidrosis was higher in the R3+R4 group than that in the R4 group (72.6% vs. 70.0%). ConclusionThe perioperative outcomes of R4 and R3+R4 ETS are similar, but R3+R4 ETS has a higher rate of symptomatic relief of acrohyperhidrosis, and patients have a better postoperative quality of life. R3+R4 ETS is a reliable option for the treatment of acrohyperhidrosis. However, patients need to be informed that this procedure may increase the risk of compensatory hyperhidrosis.
ObjectiveTo explore clinical outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic sympathectomy (VATS) for the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis (PH), and compare the results between T2 segment surgery and T2-T3 segment surgery. MethodsFrom April 2009 to August 2012, 48 consecutive PH patients underwent single-port VATS in Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University. There were 18 male and 30 female patients with their age of 14-40 (22.1±5.4) years. According to different surgical procedures, all the patients were divided into T2 segment group (29 patients) and T2-T3 segment group (19 patients). Preoperative characteristics, surgical results and postoperative morbidity were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsPH symptoms disappeared after VATS in all the patients. Patients were followed up for 6-44(21.3±10.1)months, and 2 patients were lost in both T2 segment group and T2-T3 segment group. The incidence of postoperative compensatory sweating was 66.7% (18/29) in T2 segment group and 70.6% (12/19) in T2-T3 segment group. The incidence of moderate to severe compensatory sweating of T2 segment group was significantly higher than that of T2-T3 segment group (51.9% vs. 29.4%, P < 0.05). Twenty-six patients (96.3%) in T2 segment group and 16 patients (94.1%) in T2-T3 segment group were completely or partially satisfied with surgical results. ConclusionVATS is the only effective surgical procedure for the treatment of moderate to severe PH. Both T2 and T2-T3 segment sympathectomy can effectively reduce PH symptoms after VATS, but the incidence of postoperative compensatory sweating is high, which has negative influence on patients'satisfaction.
Objective To investigate the prevalence and related factors of primary palmar hyperhidrosis in adolescents in Yangzhou. Methods On-site questionnaire survey was performed on students selected by cluster random sampling from the two colleges and two high or middle schools, with each class as a unit. Data were collected through the questionnaire to make the diagnosis and severity grading. Results A total of 3 487 copies of the questionnaire were distributed in the survey and 3 299 were finished, among which 3 083 were effective with an effective rate of 88.41%. Among them, 1 358 respondents were males and 1 725 were females; 933 were middle school students, 809 high school students, and the remaining 1 341 college students. According to the diagnostic criteria, 104 respondents were diagnosed with palmar hyperhidrosis with an overall prevalence of 3.37%. There were 60 (4.41%) males and 44 (2.55%) females. Although the prevalence of palmar hyperhidrosis in males was higher than that of females (χ2=8.130, P<0.05), severe palmar hyperhidrosis was more often to be observed in females than in males, and females were also more likely to have hyperhidrosis in other parts of the body. In addition, the age of the first onset of the disease was mainly 10 to 20 years old and 36.54% of the patients had a family history. Conclusion The prevalence of palmar hyperhidrosis in adolescents in Yangzhou was 3.37%, and there is a significant difference in the gender. The palmar hyperhidros is often accompanied by hyperhidrosis symptoms of other parts of body, and the disease shows an obvious genetic predisposition.
This guideline systematically reviewed and summarized the 20 years' clinical and basic research experience of minimally invasive treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis (PH) in China, and discussed the hot and difficult issues of minimally invasive treatment of PH. We have formed a new consensus of PH in terms of its definition, clinical manifestations, diagnostic criteria and classification, surgical indications and contraindications, surgical procedures and management of complications, especially in the area of postoperative compensatory hyperhidrosis (CH). This guideline confirmed that endoscopic thoracic sympathicotomy (ETS) was the most effective treatment for PH and that CH was the most common side effect. In order to reduce the incidence of CH, eliminate patient's distress and improve patient's satisfaction, the guideline emphasized that the keys to prevent CH were to pay attention to pre-operative interview, communicate with patients, select patients carefully, avoid the enlargement of operative indication and optimize operative procedure. This guideline also introduced the advantages and disadvantages of various methods to reduce the incidence of CH. We provided this authoritative guidance document in order to avoid the surgical risk, strengthen the perioperative management and improve the sugery effect.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of free palmaris longus tendon graft reconstruction in the treatment of gouty tophus erosion lesions in flexor tendon of wrist and hand. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 8 patients with gouty tophus erosion lesions in flexor tendon of wrist and hand who underwent free palmaris longus tendon graft reconstruction between June 2017 and December 2023. All patients were male, aged 22-65 years, with an average of 45.9 years. The duration of gout history ranged from 2 to 18 years, with an average of 8.8 years. The duration from the discovery of gouty tophus to operation ranged from 12 to 26 months, with an average of 17.6 months. The gouty tophus eroded the flexor pollicis longus tendon in 4 cases, with Verdan flexor tendon zones being Ⅰ-Ⅱ in 1 case and Ⅳ-Ⅴ in 3 cases. The flexor digitorum profundus tendons were affected in 2 cases for the index finger, 1 for the middle finger, and 1 for the ring finger, all located in zone Ⅳ-Ⅴ. The long axis of the gouty tophus ranged from 2.3 to 4.5 cm, with an average of 3.4 cm. All 8 patients presented with limited finger flexion and extension. Among them, 4 cases were accompanied by median nerve compression symptoms, and 1 case had associated bone and joint destruction in the hand. The total active motion (TAM) of the affected finger was (81.3±30.2)° before operation according to the hand function evaluation criteria for tendon repair by the Chinese Society of Hand Surgery of the Chinese Medical Association, and the functional evaluation was poor. The harvested palmaris longus tendon intraoperatively was 7-9 cm in length. Results Surgical incisions in all 8 patients healed by first intention, with no infections, graft non-union, or significant adhesion complications. All patients were followed up 8-25 months, with an average of 14.8 months. Numbness symptoms resolved in all 4 patients who presented with median nerve compression symptoms. Patients did not experience wrist pain or other discomfort, and function was not compromised. At last follow-up, according to the hand function evaluation criteria for tendon repair by the Chinese Society of Hand Surgery of the Chinese Medical Association, the TAM of 8 patients was (197.5±55.8)°, which significantly improved when compared with that before operation (t=11.638, P<0.001); the hand function of 1 patient with gouty tophus in zone Ⅰ-Ⅱ flexor pollicis longus tendon was good, and the other 7 patients were excellent. ConclusionFree palmaris longus tendon graft reconstruction demonstrates good effectiveness in treating gouty tophus erosion lesions in flexor tendon of wrist and hand.
Objective To investigate the operative procedure and the short-term therapeutic effects of medial plantar venous flaps for estoration of soft-tissue defects on the volar aspect of fingers. Methods From May 2007 to July 2009, 13 cases (15 fingers) of volar soft tissue defects were treated with medial plantar venous flaps, including 7 males (9 fingers) and 6 females(6 fingers) with an average age of 30 years (range, 17-55 years). Soft tissue defects were caused by electric saws in 4 cases (5 fingers), by crush injury in 6 cases (6 fingers), and by burned scar removal in 3 cases (4 fingers). The size of soft tissue defects ranged from 1.0 cm × 0.9 cm to 5.8 cm × 3.3 cm, included 5 thumbs, 3 index fingers, 3 l ittle fingers, 2 ring fingers, and 2 middle fingers. The emergency surgical treatment was performed in 10 traumatic cases after 2 to 12 hours (4 hours on average); and the elective surgical treatment was performed in the other 3 cases of scar after burn. The 15 medial plantar venous flaps, with size of 1.0 cm × 1.0 cm to 6.0 cm × 3.5 cm, were harvested to restore defects. Of them, 12 venous flaps had 1 superficial vein and the other 3 had 2 veins; and the veins of 13 venous flaps bridged a single digital artery and the veins of the other 2 flaps bridged both arteries. The donor sites were sutured directly or were covered with skin graft. Results All 15 venous flaps survived completely, and the donor and reci pient sites healed by first intention. Eleven cases (11 fingers) were followed up for 2 to 12 months. The texture and color of the flaps were similar to those of adjacent normal skin with a satisfactory appearance. The two-point discrimination was 6-9 mm. According to criterion for joint junction of total active range of motion/total active range of flexion, the results were excellent in 10 cases and good in 1 case; the excellent and good rate was 100%. Conclusion The medial plantar venous flap has advantages of easy-to-operate, rich blood supply and high survival rate. So it is an ideal and rel iable choice for volar soft tissue defects of fingers.
Objective To evaluate the feasibility of the clinical pathway based on the medical data information integration system to guide the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis (PHH). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 106 PHH patients in the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University from March 2012 through June 2015. The patients were divided into two groups including a day surgery group (52 patients) and a traditional group (54 patients). The patients in the day surgery group underwent day surgery guided by clinical pathway of PHH based on medical data information integration system. The patients in the traditional group stayed in hospital for 2-3 days. The pre-surgical situation, post-surgical effect of patients and cost of hospitalization were compared between the two groups. Results Only one patient of PPH suffered from insufficient relief of symptoms. The other patients’ symptom of PPH disappeared. No serious complication occurred. The postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score of patients was lower than 2 points. The hospitalization expense of the day surgery group was significantly lower than that of the traditional operation group. The average follow-up time was 2.5 months (0.5 to 4 months). The symptoms of the whole group had no recurrence. All of the patients were not found with compensatory hyperhidrosis. Conclusion Day-surgery clinical pathway of PHH based on medical data information integration system is safe and feasible. Day-surgery clinical pathway of PPH can accelerate the recovery of patients and save the cost of hospitalization.