News Release

High School Athlete Undergoes Surgery For Rare "Sweaty Palms" Disorder; Earns State Title, Spot On University Team Six Weeks Later

Peer-Reviewed Publication

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 11, 1999) -- When Danielle Hustedt played tennis, she couldn't 'get a grip'--literally. The racquet slipped from her hands and instead of concentrating on technique, she became obsessed with an inability to maintain a strong hold. Hustedt has hyperhidrosis, excess sweating of the hands and feet and the disorder effected every area of her life.

"I would come home from school in tears. I didn't fit in," said Hustedt, a 17-year-old high school student from Irvine, Calif. "I'd write a paper at school and perspiration would soak through my paper. I'd make bead necklaces with friends and they would make fun of my sweaty hands. I was afraid to hold hands with boys at a school dance or shake hands at the end of a tennis match."

Hustedt and mother Kristi first noticed symptoms during gymnastics practice when the aspiring athlete was just 7. "Danielle couldn't hold on to the bar. She would slip and fall. She grew older and the symptoms only worsened until her feet, underarms and hands were dripping," Kristi Hustedt said. "As a mother, it broke my heart. I wanted her to fit in and feel good about herself."

While hyperhidrosis is not life threatening, the disease altered Hustedt's self image and her friendships, as well as her continued progress in tennis, a sport in which she excels. She and her parents tried various treatments, including electric shock to the nerves, hypnosis and two surgeries that cauterized the nerves. Nothing worked.

Then they found Martin Cooper, M.D., clinical chief of neurosurgery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. Dr. Cooper performs endoscopic sympathectomy, a procedure that uses the world's smallest endoscope, a fiber optic camera just three millimeters wide, to locate sympathetic nerves that run behind the lungs and through the chest. During the procedure, the T2 segments of the nerve chain which control sweating of the hands and feet are severed to permanently stop excess perspiration.

"It used to be a major operation with a long recovery period," said Dr. Cooper, a renowned neurosurgeon who has performed different surgical procedures for various celebrities. "Now the surgery lasts about one hour and involves very little risk. It is often performed on an outpatient basis."

Since many people endure hyperhidrosis in silence, it can be difficult for physicians to gather accurate information about the disorder. It effects people of all ages and from all racial groups and economic backgrounds yet the cause is unknown. Although Hustedt and her family cannot trace relatives with the disorder, Dr. Cooper estimates that approximately 40 percent of cases have a family history of the disorder.

"Patients like Danielle often see me after trying various treatments that were unsuccessful. This procedure is the only way to stop the symptoms permanently. We're using the least invasive instruments and techniques in the world so patients recover quickly and enjoy a higher quality of life," Dr. Cooper said.

Hustedt had surgery in the middle of the tennis season during her senior year in high school. She consulted with Dr. Cooper in mid-September and two weeks later she had the procedure.

Her recovery went quickly--as did improvements in her game: On Dec. 6, just six weeks after surgery, Hustedt and her doubles partner won the most prestigious title of Hustedt's career. The duo prevailed over more than 200 teams to win the Southern California Doubles Championship sponsored by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF). The win earned Hustedt her highest ranking by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) in the competitive southern California region, offers of athletic scholarships and a spot on the tennis team at the University of Colorado, where she will attend college in the fall.

"I'm a new person. Every aspect of my life has changed," Hustedt said. "My tennis game is better, I'm not afraid to shake anyone's hand and I don't constantly obsess about sweating. It's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

###

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
Dr. Martin Cooper, Clinical Chief of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Danielle Hustedt, 17-year-old high school athlete, Irvine, CA

For media information and to arrange an interview, please call 1-800-396-1002.



Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.