Effects of bilateral T2-sympathectomy on static and dynamic heart rate responses to exercise in hyperhidrosis patients

The static/dynamic changes of gas exchange, heart rate (HR) and blood pressure in terms of work rate (WR) and WR changes in ramp exercise were investigated by cardio-pulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) in hyperhidrosis patients before (W0), one week (W1) and four weeks (W4) after bilateral T2-sympathectomy. Accompanied by constant oxygen consumption and WR at peak exercise and similar oxygen debt in recovery, the HR significantly (p < 0.05) decreased statically in all stages of CPET, but was not altered dynamically, i.e., similar slope but significantly diminished intercept in HR changes versus WR changes (70 ± 6.0 vs. 82 ± 19 beats/min, p < 0.01), in W1 (n = 11), compared to W0 (n = 13). However, this surgical effect on static HR changes seemed to have disappeared in W4 (n = 8), albeit at that time the static blood pressure decreased significantly during exercise. These findings suggest that bilateral T2-sympathectomy will reduce static HR without causing cardiovascular insufficiency in one week, and would then recover by one month in hyperhidrosis patients.