Dressing with a Splint in Osmidrosis

For the surgical treatment of osmidrosis with subdermal excision in adolescent patients, immobilization of the axilla after the surgery is very important to prevent hematoma. Skin necrosis may occur when hematoma develops in the axilla after subdermal shaving. However, in case of young patients, they cannot maintain immobilization of the axilla after surgery for a long time, so they are relatively vulnerable to skin necrosis of the axilla due to hematoma after surgery. We used Yogips(R) splint for the dressing in 21 patients from January, 2002 to December, 2002 in our institute to prevent hematoma. The control group was composed of 46 patients only with tie-over dressing after subdermal excision for the dressing. We compared the incidence of hematoma 5 days after the surgery with that of the control group. There was no evident hematoma observed in the patients with Yogips(R)splint, but in case of the control group, hematoma developed in 16 patients of total 46 patients(33%). In this 16 patients with hematoma, 12 patients(75%) were adolescents. In conclusion, the dressing with a Yogips(R)splint seems to be a good method for immobilization of axilla and preventing hematoma after subdermal excision in young patients with osmidrosis.

A Comparative Evaluation of Various Axillary Osmidrosis Treatment

Axillary osmidrosis caused by excessive secretion of apocrine glands, which causes an malodor and extreme social embarrassment. To remove the apocrine glands, various types of treatment methods for axillary osmidrosis have been introduced. They could be summarized as manual of instrumental subdermal shaving, ultrasonic assisted liposuction, Botox(R) injection, electrical probe, laser dessication, etc. Surgical removal of apocrine glands has been the favored treatment for the several decades, but such complications as long-term postoperative immobilization period, skin necrosis, hematoma, and visible scars have been frequent. Recently, for the purpose of reducing these complications, some operators have advocated other procedures such as axillary ultrasonic assisted liposuction, Botox(R) injection, laser dessication. From March 2002 to April 2003, we have corrected the axillary osmidrosis in 80 cases using the subdermal shaving(24 cases), ultrasonic assisted liposuction(20 cases), Botox(R) injection(10 cases), electrical probe(26 cases). Of these operation, manual dermal shaving had the lowest recurrence rate, but disadvantages of this procedure was 4-5cm axillary scar, moderate post operative complication, long immobilization period. Otherwise Ultrasonic assisted liposuction had many advantages which were simple operation technique, short operation time, early recovery of social activity, rare post operative complication, invisible scar, lower recurrence rate. In case of Botox(R) injection was also simple operation technique, but which was short term effect about 6 months so it was necessary to treat repetitive injection but relatively high recurrence rate in severe osmidrosis. In case of electrical probe was also simple operation technique, but which was vague treatment effect, need to repetitive operation and relatively high recurrence rate in severe osmidrosis. In comparative evaluation of these methods, ultrasonic assisted liposuction was considered better results to osmidrosis treatment than others method in many aspects.