Minimally Invasive Surgery for Axillary Osmidrosis Using a Combination of Subcutaneous Tissue Removal and a 1,444-nm Nd:YAG Laser

Abstract

Many treatment modalities have been developed for axillaryosmidrosis. It is well known that the surgical treatment hasthe best results. However, there is a high possibility of sideeffects. The 1,444-nm lipolysis laser has been recentlyintroduced to remove the apocrine glands. So far, subdermalcoagulation treatment with a 1,444-nm Nd:YAG laser maybe the least invasive and most effective therapy for axillaryosmidrosis. However, according to our previous experience,the recurrence rate was 20%∼30%. This emphasizes theneed for combination of surgical method and non-surgicalmethod and we combined subcutaneous tissue removal andphotothermocoagulation with a 1,444-nm Nd:YAG laser. Three patients for bilateral axillary osmidrosis were enrolled. After an incision of about one-third the length of the widesttransverse diameter, the apocrine glands were separatedfrom the skin. And then apocrine glands within the markedarea were destroyed by irradiation with a 1,444-nm Nd:YAGlaser thereafter. All patients exhibited no relapse of axillaryosmidrosis and were satisfied with the treatment results. Acombination of subcutaneous tissue removal and Interstitiallaser photothermocoagulation with a 1,444-nm Nd:YAGlaser could be an effective treatment for mild to moderateaxillary osmidrosis.