ETS surgery for facial blushing and anxiety

[AJM69]

Hi

Has anyone had this surgery in the past few years? I'm looking for feedback on the pros and cons. Thank you

[Croix]

Dear AJM69~

I'd like to offer you a delayed welcome to the Forum. I'm afraid the system does not always work as we would wish. Please be assured it is not you or the subject of you post that caused your wait.

I am afraid I have no personal experience of Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy, a surgical treatment, and am not a doctor, so anything I say is as a person who does not blush but has anxiety which leads to other symptoms.

There are a couple of people in this forum who have undergone this treatment. If you put ETS in the search box (i.e. the spyglass at the top of the page) then you will get several hits. Two refer to the same person.

I would suggest that if the cause of blushing is anxiety then treating that might be the logical way to go. Any surgery has a risk, and surgery involving nerves more so.

I can only suggest you seek competent medical advice form more than one source, particularly those that have had wide experience using the procedure. Perhaps your GP may get you started with these inquiries.

I'd be interested to see what you find out

Croix

[cam01234]

Hi

I had the surgery a couple of years ago and it has been life changing - avowedly for the better!  For the first 44 years of my life I suffered crippling blushing.  And then ETS surgery, and no more blushing; 100% cured in 30 mins under the knife.  Mine was emotional blushing i.e. sudden rushes of redness of my face and ears brought on by having to speak to an attractive girl, or being put on the spot at work, or anything really.  That is quite distinct from having a ruddy complexion that is always a bit red.  ETS works for my type really well, and not that well at all for a persistently ruddy complexion.

I had it done in Melbourne by a vascular and transplant surgeon.  He's a delightful man and is the foremost surgeon in the area of ETS in Australia. He's done that exact operation well over 1000 times.  He's a delightful, and very humble guy.  When I first met him he was in an old cardigan in a ratty little office in the bowels of the hospital!

Most people get compensatory sweating to some degree on their back or buttocks from what I've read, but I haven't had any really.  I must be lucky, I guess. 

I cannot speak too highly of the impact ETS surgery has had on my life.

Good luck with your blushing, and I hope you can find a solution to it that is right for you.