Laser Sweat Ablation - LSA official blog

Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) latest presented in Paris

2012-01-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

The latest results and techniques for Laser Sweat Ablation are being presented by members of The Whiteley Clinic LSA research team - Sophie Strong and Mark Whiteley - in Paris this weekend.

The research being presented shows the 2 and a half years results of Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for axillary hyperhidrosis (sweating from arm-pits), results of Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for Bromhidrosis (body odour), how we optimised the laser energy used in Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) and the use of endoscopy in Laser Sweat Ablation - Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation (ELSA).

Details of the presentations are:

Oral presentation:

Early report on effectiveness of Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) to treat Bromhidrosis - Sophie Strong

e-papers:

Optimising laser technique in Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) - An in-vitro study using porcine skin - Sophie Strong, Mark Whiteley
Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation (ELSA) - a new technique for the treatment of axillary hyperhidrosis and bromhidrosis - Mark Whiteley
2.5 year results of Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for axillary hyperhidrosis - Mark Whiteley

Patient experience of LSA for hyperhidrosis

2011-11-22T00:37:00.000-08:00

Experience from a 20 year old male undergoing Laser Sweat Ablation at The Whiteley Clinic 8 weeks ago:

"As a 20 year old student, suffering from hyperhidrosis was a daily struggle that affected nearly every decision of daily life. Never could I wear what I wanted or feel comfortable in social situations without several layers of clothes on to hide the sweat patches. With the thought of graduating next year and trying to find a job with the constant fear in the back of my mind that everyone is judging me for sweating, I knew I had to do something drastic and permanent.

Having tried everything from acupuncture and high-strength deodorants to iontophoresis and prescription medications, my GP told me it was something I would just have to live with, an opinion I strongly disagreed with and refused to believe.

I found the Whitely Clinic online and when I went for my consultation I couldn't have been made to feel more comfortable. Dr Whiteley was extremely knowledgable and honest about the entire process, and the sweat test confirmed that not only did I have hyperhidrosis, but it was one of the worst cases he'd seen.

When I came back for the operation I was excited to finally get rid of this condition however having a phobia of needles and operations I was absolutely terrified at the same time. The nurses couldn't have been more friendly and were there throughout the operation to keep my mind off what was going on. The operation lasted about an hour and thanks to the anaesthetic I was completely numbed and it was nowhere near as bad as I had expected, instead it was actually quite a laugh with the Doctor and the Nurses and the radio in the background.

I was slightly sore after the operation but this was kept at bay with the pain killers The Whiteley Clinic gave me, and I was driving again the next day. A week later the bruising had gone down significantly however a red swollen lump appeared on one of the incisions and looked infected. I emailed the clinic a photo and was reassured that it was nothing to worry about, however I was still concerned and Dr Whiteley was more than happy for me to come in that afternoon just to put my mind at rest. I was seen straight away and Dr Whiteley confirmed it was just fluid, and surely enough it was gone within a couple of days.

Eleven weeks on and I haven't had to wear deodorant since, and the sweating is now non-existent. My six week check up and sweat test showed the operation had been 98% and 96% successful and that I now sweat only a fifth of that of a normal person. I've been in stressful situations where before I would have felt the sweat running down my side, and now theres not even a drop. I can't thank Dr Whiteley enough for changing my life and probably my entire future as well. I highly recommend The Whiteley Clinic to anyone in a similar situation as you can't put a price on getting your confidence back, and never having to worry about sweating again."

This gentleman had a 96% reduction on the right and a 97% reduction on the left.

Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for Bromhidrosis in Daily Mail

2011-11-15T06:19:00.000-08:00

Bromhidrosis (BO or "Body Odour") is discussed in the Daily Mail.

Mark Whiteley explains how LSA can be used to treat bad under-arm bromhidrosis (BO).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2061532/Got-BO-It-just-means-youre-sexy-The-surprising-truth-embarrassing-personal-problems.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Bromhidrosis - "95% improved" - no more deoderant

2011-11-09T07:20:00.000-08:00

A 26 year old lady came to see me this Summer with a problem of smelly arm-pits (Bromhidrosis). She did not have any wetness of her arm-pits (no Hyperhidrosis).

She was washing or showering several times a day, and changing her tops regularly. Close friends and work colleagues noticed the smell.

The patient had tried deodorants, anti-perspirants, Botox and tablets and nothing had improved her problem.

She came to The Whiteley Clinic and, after going through the consent, had a LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) procedure at The Whiteley Clinic.

Six weeks later she came back for review.

Since her LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation), she says that she can hardly smell the smell at all and estimates it to be 95% better, says no-one notices it at all - and she doesn't even have to wear deodorant now!

Laser Sweat Ablation is ONLY performed at The Whiteley Clinic. The techniques developed at The Whiteley Clinic have not been published yet and so are not available elsewhere, unless the doctor has trained at The Whiteley Clinic. Anyone who is trained her will be listed on http://www.lasersweatablation.co.uk/.

See: http://www.lasersweatablation.co.uk/ and http://www.bromhidrosis.co.uk/

Mark Whiteley presenting latest LSA data at BODY Conference

2011-10-04T02:40:00.000-07:00

Mark Whiteley will be presenting the latest results and data about LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) at the Body Conference on Sunday 6th November in London.

http://www.bodyconference.co.uk/Conference/Agenda.asp?ID=7

Laser Sweat Ablation in Woman Magazine

2011-08-22T04:32:00.000-07:00

Laser Sweat Ablation is featured in the current Woman Magazine ( Woman Magazine 22 Aug 2011 ) page 42.

One of our patients, Toni, has given an interview about her experiences having had LSA and the relief it has given her.

She speaks candidly about the improvement to her life - and the cost of that improvement.

NB: Although "Laser Sweat Ablation" has been advertised elsewhere in the UK, the actual Laser Sweat Ablation procedure has been developed by Mark Whiteley of The Whiteley Clinic, and is being continuously improved and modified on the results of our on-going audit and research. To date, no UK doctor has been on the Whiteley Clinic LSA course yet to learn this technique. Hence any individual, clinic or hospital in the UK offering "Laser Sweat Ablation" or "LSA" is not using the Whiteley Technique and has not been trained in the settings and techniques that The Whiteley Clinic shown to be optimal by our research.

Laser Sweat Ablation appears in the Metro

2011-06-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) was featured in the Metro newspaper yesterday ("Three of the best... sweat prevention treatments" - Body Matters Section, Metro Monday June 27, 2011 - page 20).

The Metro is a newspaper that is distributed in London. The feature on Laser Sweat Ablation included contact details for The Whiteley Clinic in Harley Street London, and The Whiteley Clinic in Guildford.

Video of world's 1st ELSA - Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation

2011-06-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

This video features Mark Whiteley commentating on his new operation - ELSA (endoscopic laser sweat ablation).

As followers of this blog will know, Mark was the first person in the UK to start treating under-arm sweating with Laser Sweat Ablation. Indeed, the technique he learnt was sub-dermal laser ablation (SDLA) - whereas Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) has been developed out of the research that Mark Whiteley and his team have performed over the last 2 years.

Mark's latest development is the ELSA - Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation procedure, first announced on this blog. The pictures of what the ELSA looks like were presented by Mark at the ISSS in Denmark this weekend - and today he has released this video to share the information that he has gleaned from ELSA.

LSA and ELSA being presented at ISSS in Denmark

2011-06-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

Mark Whiteley is presenting 2 research projects on LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) and ELSA (Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation) at the ISSS (International Symposium on Sympathetic Surgery) in Odense, Denmark 17-19th June.

This is the first time that ELSA will have been shown anywhere in the world.

The first project is an oral presention:

"TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE OF LASER SWEAT ABLATION (LSA) FOR AXILLARY HYPERHIDROSIS AND BROMHIDROSIS AND EARLY REPORT OF ENDOSCOPIC LASER SWEAT ABLATION (ELSA)"
Mark Whiteley, Sophie Strong, George Badham

The second is a poster presentation:

"OPTIMISING LASER TECHNIQUE IN LASER SWEAT ABLATION (LSA) – AN IN-VITRO STUDY USING PORCINE SKIN"
Mark Whiteley, Sophie Strong, George Badham

For more information about the conference see: http://www.sympatektomi.dk/

Laser Sweat Ablation testimonial on You Tube

2011-06-06T15:16:00.000-07:00

Modified Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) continues to show very good results treating under arm sweating

2011-06-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

As regular readers of this blog will know, the Laser Sweat Ablation operation (LSA) was developed by Mark Whiteley from the Subdermal Laser Ablation procedure which was started by Blugerman in Argentina (see earlier in Blog).

Over the last 2 years, the research and modifications that Mark and his team have made to the LSA procedure for under-arm sweating have resulted in a procedure that is now starting to produce very good results regularly - and complications are now becoming very uncommon.

Below are let results for one of our patients who came in to see us for her 8 weeks follow up yesterday. Her results show an 86% reduction of sweating on the right and 82% reduction on the left

She is so pleased with her results, she has recorded and interview which we will post up as soon as we can.

Right Axilla (armpit) before Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Left Axilla (armpit) before Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Right Axilla (arm-pit) before Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)
Iodine and Starch Test (Black shows area of sweating)

Left Axilla (arm-pit) before Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Iodine and Starch Test (Black shows area of sweating)

Right Axilla (armpit) 8 weeks after Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Left Axilla (armpit) 8 weeks after Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Right Axilla (arm-pit) 8 weeks after Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Iodine and Starch Test (No black areas showing no area of sweating)

Left Axilla (arm-pit) 8 weeks after Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA)

Iodine and Starch Test (No black areas showing no area of sweating)

Publication of results obstructed at present

2011-05-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

We have been trying to publish our experience and results of LSA in a peer reviewed journal, which is the usual way to publish medical data.

Unfortunately both The Annals of The Royal College of Surgeons of England and The Surgeon Journal of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and Ireland have rejected the paper - without entering into any discussion.

For those who don't understand the peer-review process, what happens is that when a surgeon, scientist etc writes up some research, they submit it to their chosen journal. The Editor then sends the paper out to an "expert" reviewer or two (sometimes more) who gives their opinion on the paper.

The Editor then decides to accept the paper and publish it, to reject it, or quite often to go back to the author to ask for clarification of some points and suggest certain parts are re-written.

Unfortunately the system is open to quite a lot of criticism - and potential abuse. The reviewer or reviewers are kept secret - so the author never knows whether the "expert" reviewing the paper was truly an expert in that area.

In addition, as medicine and surgery are very competitive, it allows one specialist to suppress the work of a professional "competitor" without any comeback.

As LSA is a new operation, developed and modified at The Whiteley Clinic and - so far - only offered in the developed form at The Whiteley Clinic, our results and experience should be of great scientific interest to doctors and patients alike. Without these results and experiences being published, it is hard for the technique to continue being developed by others, who may well end up making the same mistakes that we overcame early in our work.

Other doctors need to know whether the technique is right for their patients - and patients want to know their results.

We have a very clear aim to keep our work as transparent as possible, making sure that our techniques are the best possible for our patients.

As such we will continue to try to publish our techniques and results, and will tell all of our patients the pros and cons of the procedure as they go through the system.

Unfortunately we cannot publish our results here, as that would prevent us from ever submitting them for publication in a peer reviewed journal where papers have to be original and contain unpublished results.

When we find a journal that understands the development of a new procedure and accepts that we want to publish our experience as a "warts and all" paper - and not just trying to claim perfection, we will let you all know the journal it is published in on this blog.

LSA to be presented at Pulse Seminar 12th May - London

2011-05-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Mark Whiteley will be presenting his Laser Sweat Ablation and the new Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation at the Pulse Dermatology Seminar tomorrow in London.

Mark is speaking at 16:05 for 40 minutes about hyperhidrosis - and will include his research and these revolutionary new procedures.

More information can be found at:

http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=19&storycode=4127931&navcode=1240

Laser Sweat Ablation in The Times

2011-04-26T03:30:00.000-07:00

The Times ran a very informative article about Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) today - The Times 2, Body & Soul, Pages 8 and 9.

The operation that was introduced into the UK by Mark Whiteley 2 years ago and that has been further researched, modified and improved by his team at The Whiteley Clinic is explained.

There are also 2 patients featured - one cured of axillary hyperhidrosis (armpit sweating) and the other cured of bromhidrosis (smelly armpits).

Experience of LSA in Bromhidrosis

2011-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

Following one of our blog entries about LSA for Bromhidrosis (smelly arm-pits) a reader asked what the outcome was of our latest patient 1 month after the procedure.

I answered that I usually see patients at 6 weeks and so check then.

However, I also e-mailed the patient just to see what they thought at the 4 week stage and had the following reply:

"Hi Mark

I'd say I'm now fully recovered. Skin tightness and bruising all gone. Not much hair has returned which I'm actually pleased with as am sure it contributed to the smell. Results wise, other half noticed big difference/improvement.
For me, it seems about a 70% reduction in both arms without any deodorant. When I spray it's 100% and lasts all day without need to reapply. Also, it's important to note that any little odour I notice is not noticeable by my other half. Also I only notice after dabbing the area with a tissue.

So although not 100% it's a big improvement and I'm pleased with the results (and so is the other half!)

Would definitely recommend it to others."

ELSA - Endoscopic Laser Sweat Ablation - A new horizons for LSA

2011-04-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Today Mark Whiteley of The Whiteley Clinic performed the first ELSA operation in the world.

Mark developed this from the standard LSA operation as part of his ongoing research into improving and perfecting laser sweat ablation to treat axillary hyperhidrosis (underarm sweating).

The results of the LSA operation have been improving considerably over the last nine months with the introduction of some new developments that Mark Whiteley and his research fellow, Sophie Strong, have been identifying.

One of these was the introduction of an endoscope so that the laser sweat ablation operation can be viewed as it is being performed.

The ability to see the surgery and the effects of the different parts of the procedure are enabling us to understand the laser sweat ablation procedure more fully. This in turn will of course help us to reduce any complications was making the procedure as effective as possible.

The ELSA procedure is being written up for publication in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented internationally and nationally later this year. In addition the website www.ELSA.co.uk will be launched with information about this new procedure soon.

2nd anniversary for LSA in the UK

2011-03-06T07:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday - 5th March 2011 - was the second anniversary of the first Laser Sweat Ablation operation performed in the UK.

The first procedure in the UK which was performed by Mark Whiteley in 2009 was televised and put on the BBC website.

In the following 2 years we have performed about 80 LSA procedures, exploring its use in Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat) as well as Hyperhidrosis (fluid sweat) and improving the results all of the time.

Plans for the forthcoming year include:

Release of new data regarding the laser and how it interacts with the skin
A new instrument designed by Mark Whiteley to improve the the LSA procedure
A new method of investigating and performing LSA to improve our understanding ad control of the operation

Keep an eye on this blog to keep up to date with the latest information on this exciting newish (well 2 years old!!!) procedure.

Sophie Strong presents research poster on LSA at Royal Society of Medicine

2011-03-06T07:13:00.000-08:00

Sophie Strong, one of The Whiteley Clinic Summer research fellows in 2010 presented her research on LSA at the 3rd Annual meeting of the ICG-RSM -

Interventional cosmetics: Recent advances and controversies at the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

Her poster was entitled:

"One year experience of Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for Axillary Hyperhidrosis"

Sophie Strong, Mark Whiteley

LSA for Bromhidrosis

2011-02-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

An early experience from a patient who had LSA at The Whiteley Clinic for Bromhidrosis last week:

"Thought I'd drop you a quick email showing photos of both arms one day after removing the compression garment.

Relief after removing the garment was immediate, and the stretching immediately after lightly has helped.

Also completed the full course of antibiotics today and feel good. Had my first 'smell' test today with my other half, after I went for a very light bike ride for about 2km. I came back lightly perspiring although had a jumper and coat on (which would normally trigger really bad arm odour), and once I removed all she smelt each arm and couldn't smell any bad odour! that is quite amazing considering I hadn't washed the underarm area at all in four days!

I was also very pleased with the whole experience, it certainly made the time go by quicker.

It is probably too early to tell if the glands will recover and the smell will return to some degree, though just wanted to say so far it is looking very promising.

Big thanks, will keep you posted on my progress. "

E-mail from an LSA patient today

2011-01-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Dr Whiteley

A note for yur blog

I just wanted to send you a note to say thank you for changing my life and giving me back the so longed confidence that I had lost some years ago.

After an initial consultation & test for auxiliary hyperhidrosis, I knew I had made the right decision to go for the laser sweat ablation procedure.

Dr Whiteley and his team made me feel extremely comfortable throughout and to Dr Whiteley's surprise (but not mine), I broke all records on the sweat test, which was then double checked, and yep that was how bad it was !
Dr Whiteley did reassure me in the consultation that followed that he may not be able to cure me but would do his best and a noticeable difference would be achieved in the end.

The initial iodine test for the operation was conducted and once again i surpassed Dr Whiteley expectations by sweating so much that the iodine actually run... The operation was conducted under local anaesthetic and the only pain I had during the op was from laughing so much, they really are a great team and the reassurance that I needed at the time !

Once the compression garment came off after 2 days I did have some swelling which did get worse and after another 4 days I was so concerned that I took some pictures and sent them over to Dr Whiteley, within a few minutes I received a phone call and was asked to come in to the clinic for him to check me over, reassurance was given and with a different course of antibiotics I was back on the road again back to London, I must add that at no time during this did I have any pain at all.

My underarms were a little tight over the coming weeks but by doing "The Funky Chicken" exercises it really did make a difference.

As coffee was one of my triggers for sweating, I thought I would have a double espresso just before my follow up test to see if would have any effect on the results and to my surprise there was hardly a trace of sweating and if my memory serves me right, it was a 97% success and from someone that broke the sweat test records that is pretty impressive.

The other trigger that I had was when being under pressure and since the op I have had several intense interviews for a new job, each time I came out from the interview the first thing I did was to check for sweating and not a trace was found, this in turn gave me back the confidence that I so missed and thankfully, due to this op and the new found confidence I have now secured the job !

May I thank Dr Whiteley and all his team for changing my life for the better and if you ever do suffer from auxiliary hyperhidrosis don't let it be a problem any longer, just go and see Dr Whiteley.

Mr S - London

"The best decision I ever made"

2011-01-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Today we saw one of our patients 6 weeks after his LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) at The Whiteley Clinic.

The patient is a 39 year old man who had suffered from very severe armpit sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) all of his adult life (see picture above). He underwent LSA at The Whiteley Clinic in early December 2010.

10 days after his operation, he came back with an infection - and was prescribed antibiotics. After that , the healing continued to improve without problem. Today - 6 weeks later - he is sweat free (see second picture above).

When measured, he had reduced his sweat volume by 97% on the right and 95% on the left.

The patient told us in his own words:

"I don't sweat at all now. I have been to 5 job interviews since the operation - usually I get out of the interview and am drenched. I usually have to go home and shower and change straight away. Since having the LSA, I came out of each interview and as completely dry!!".

When asked if he was happy, the patient said:

"It was the best decision I ever made to have this done!"

New Research into Laser Sweat Ablation

2011-01-13T10:51:00.001-08:00

Firstly, we are delighted that our research fellow - Sophie Strong - gave a great presentation in Paris at the IMCAS meeting last week.

Her talk on the outcomes in the first year of LSA went down very well.

Secondly, the results of our first histological study have just come back from the laboratory.

We will be analysing these over the next few weeks ad will be presenting and publishing the results later this year.

Testimonial - LSA August 2010

2010-11-18T10:17:00.000-08:00

This is a testimonial received from a 32 year old lady who uderwent LSA in August 2010:

I struggled with hyperhidrosis for many years and tried all sorts of possible cures including very strong deodorants, botox and iontophoresis but none of them worked for me. I had basically given up and resigned myself to always wearing black and white tops in order to make my problem less obvious.

Then I found Mr Whiteley’s sweating website which documented the new LSA operation. It sounded perfect for me.

Going along for my initial sweat test I was really nervous and worried that I wouldn’t sweat enough and Mr Whiteley would find that I didn’t have a sweat problem at all. Once the test had been carried out and I spoke to Mr Whiteley, I was so pleased, for the first time in my life, to hear that I definitely had hyperhydrosis ! To hear an expert on sweating confirm that I had a severe sweat problem was great! This was made even better by the fact that Mr Whiteley said that the best results were achieved with people who sweat the most!

I was really impressed by how knowledgeable and honest Mr Whiteley was during the consultation, I was concerned that I might be given the ‘hard sell’ but this was not the case. He explained the risks and also went through all the other possible options and operations for hyperhidrosis. I was also really impressed that Mr Whitely documents each case thoroughly and uses his data to improve the outcome of each operation.

The operation took about an hour and Mr Whiteley and his staff were so friendly and really put me at ease throughout the whole procedure. I was surprised that they took photos of my armpits throughout, but again it just proved that Mr Whiteley wanted to learn from each procedure. At one point I experienced a strange pain which bought me to tears, but I don’t think it was really the pain which caused the tears, it was more the relief of finally getting my hyperhydrosis dealt with. It was an extremely emotional day, having lived with the problem for so long.

I was expecting the pain to be awful and to barely be able to move for days after but this was not the case. I found it hard to sleep the first night, which was due to the packing under my arms rather than any pain. The next day I took pain killers and was able to move my arms quite normally which I was really surprised by. I found that there seemed to be blood leaking from my arms which really worried me. However one of Mr Whiteley’s staff rang me the day after the procedure and reassured me that it was most likely to be the liquid painkiller mixing with blood and seeping out, and that it would stop very soon, which it did.

After I removed the compression garment my under arms looked bruised and puffy but didn’t really hurt. I also had a lump under my right arm which I assumed would go down in a couple of days. After a few days my arms didn’t hurt at all and I barely remembered that I’d had anything done, apart from when I looked at them as they were still bruised and puffy.

I was however, still worried about the lump under my arm as it didn’t seem to be going down and the skin on the lump was red and looked infected. I contacted Mr Whiteley and he asked me to drop in and see him. I did this, and without an official appointment, I was seen straight away without having to wait at all. Mr Whiteley checked the lump under my arm and took a sample from it. He found that it wasn’t infected, there was just pooled blood in the gap had been created in the operation. He told me this would soon be reabsorbed back into my body. I was so impressed by how quickly and efficiently I was seen and my problem sorted out.

Over the next few weeks my arms just got better and better, initially my underarm hair seemed to be falling out and not growing back, which I was very pleased about! But over time the hair has started growing again, but it seems slower growing than it used to and also less of it. Even now, 3 1/2 months on, the very centre of my armpit feels a little numb, but it is slowly coming back to life.
In the weeks after the operation I kept wondering when I would have to start wearing deodorant again, when would the sweating return? But so far it has not returned! I bought some ‘normal’ persons aerosol deodorant and was expecting to need to use it once my armpits had healed, but it remains untouched!

I returned for my 6 week check and sweat test and was really excited to hear how much my sweating had been reduced by as I was pretty sure that the operation had been extremely successful. I was correct! My sweating had been reduced by 98%! I think Mr Whiteley said this was one of his best results ever!

The operation has been such a positive experience for me but unfortunately it’s the kind of thing which very quickly becomes ‘the norm’. Hence me writing this testimonial nearly 4 month after having the operation! I very quickly got used to not sweating and have almost forgotten that I had hyperhydrosis at all! I can barely remember all the problems and worries I had about sweating. It’s like I have become a different person! I have more colourful clothes and no longer need to consider what I’ll wear to hide my sweat problem. I am so glad I found Mr Whiteley and his clinic on the internet and I’m so glad I decided to take the plunge and have the operation done. Thank you so much.

LSA paper accepted for Paris meeting

2010-10-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

Sophie Strong, the Whiteley Clinic hyperhidrosis research fellow, has had her research on LSA accepted for presentation in Paris at the IMCAS conference in January 2010.

This will allow us to show our results to the academic world - and will allow us to publish them next year.

Embarrassing bodies on Channel 4 - Laser Sweat Ablation

2010-10-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Whiteley Clinic was featured on Channel 4 this evening curing a patient with axillary hyperhidrosis with Laser Sweat Ablation.

Faye had previously been on Embarrassing Bodies with arm-pit sweating and had been given Botox. however after 6 months it kept wearing off - making it expensive to keep having it done.

She went to Embarrassing Bodies on Channel 4 who sent her to The Whiteley Clinic for Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA).

Faye had the walk-in walk-out local anaesthetic procedure at The Whiteley Clinic and was thrilled with the result. She said on TV that she didn't even think about her sweating any more and had bought a whole new wardrobe of clothes.

Embarrassing Bodies - Channel 4 - 9pm - Friday 8th October 2010

2010-10-05T14:28:00.000-07:00

We have just been informed by Maverick TV that Embarrassing Bodies this week is going to feature Mr Mark Whiteley performing a Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) for axillary hyperhidrosis (under-arm sweating).

The program was recorded earlier this summer.

If you are interested, please watch Channel 4, Embarrassing Bodies on Friday, 8th October 2010 at 9pm.

Laser Sweat Ablation results to be presented

2010-10-03T07:39:00.001-07:00

On Saturday 9th October, Sophie Strong (LSA research fellow summer 2010 at The Whiteley Clinic ) will be presenting her finding about LSA at a national students research meeting.

Her findings are helping us to choose who is more likely to get good results from LSA.

Article on excessive sweating (hyperhidrosis)

2010-09-28T07:05:00.000-07:00

are you drinking too much water? Today Mark Whtiteley was quoted on the Health and Wellness website - relating to excessive water drinking and sweating (hyperhidrosis)

Click here for article

Laser Sweat Ablation - Further improvements

2010-09-24T05:41:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a very busy summer - hence no posts for a while.

There is a lot of research activity into Laser Sweat Ablation going on behind the scenes at The Whiteley Clinic - but as with all things, it is taking longer than thought to get the research projects and approvals through the system and started.

However most of our patients are having very good results - with just one or two having problems.

Sophie Strong, our research fellow this summer, has done a fantastic job in starting to identify the people who are most likely to get good results from LSA. Therefore, in our preliminary sweat test, we are now able to tell those people who are more suitable for LSA and those who are more suitable for other treatments.

Of course we provide many other treatments at The Whiteley Clinic so we can usually help those people who aren't suitable for LSA.

Today I saw our latest patient to have LSA - she is 32 years old and had:

97% reduction of sweating from right axilla (arm-pit)

96% reduction of sweating from left axilla (arm-pit)

Research fellow in Laser Sweat Ablation

2010-07-15T11:10:00.000-07:00

We are delighted that Sophie Strong, a first year medical student, has joined us for 3 weeks this summer to analyse the results from the first 50 laser sweat ablation cases.

As with any new operation, the Laser Sweat Ablation procedure has not given perfect results in everyone - in fact no operation ever gives perfect results in everyone - hence the need for consent and for publishing results and research.

Over the last year and a quarter, we have made many changes to the procedure - gradually improving our understanding of the condition and the operation - as well as finding out who is most suitable for it.

It now looks as though we have identified some of the major factors to detrmine:

1] who is suitable
2] what the optimal techiques are

Over the next 2 weeks we will be analysing our figures and bringing our new understanding into our clinical practice.

The results will be summarised here, but will be presented both nationally and internationally as well as being published.

LSA in The Times - 6th July 2010

2010-07-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

The Times ran an article on excess sweating (hyperhidrosis) today, in their Body & Soul section.

The article was very well written, starting with the GP view, then the hormone expert and then finally The Surgeon view.

Mark Whiteley was interviewed as the surgeon, and explained the use of Botulinum Toxin A for temporary relief of underarm sweating, and the new LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) for the permanent reduction of underarm sweating.

The Times; Tuesday July 6, 2010 - Body & Soul page 6

50th LSA - Laser Sweat Procedure

2010-07-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, Mark Whiteley of The Whiteley Clinic performed his 50th Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA).

42 have been performed for Axillary Hyperhidrosis (sweating).
8 for Bromhidrosis (smelling)

Our LSA research fellow is starting in 2 weeks so we will be writing up our results for presentation and publication this summer - they will be published later in the year depending on the speed of journal review process.

One year after LSA

2010-06-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

We are starting to see our patients one year after their LSA.

Of course, as these were the first people to have the procedure, they are the results of the original way LSA was performed, before the modifications to the technique.

One patient today said that the results were still "dramatic". He occasionally had a small amount of sweating if it was very hot, but compared with the hyperhidrosis he used to have, the results have changed his life.

Sweat testing showed he had an 82% reduction of sweating on the right and 92% reduction on the left at one year after the LSA.

Laser Sweat Ablation on Embarrassing Bodies

2010-06-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Today we filmed a case of LSA for the TV Program "Embarrassing Bodies".

The case went very well and hopefully it will reach the TV screens in the nearish future.

New LSA modification results

2010-06-04T04:13:00.001-07:00

In March this year we further modified the LSA procedure with the aim of making it even more effective and have even lower risk of skin break-down.

Today I saw the first patient back for her follow-up sweat test.

She herself doesn't feel as if she has any sweating at all now. The skin tightness is virtually gone and the sweat test shows a reduction of sweating - 90% reduction on the right and 95% reduction on the left.

With several other patients having e-mailed their satisfaction already after only a few weeks, it looks as though our new LSA modification has indeed improved the results and recovery of LSA further.

Latest testimonial

2010-06-01T03:03:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from presenting our research on LSA in Slovenia to the Fotona laser meeting, this e-mail was waiting for me from a 29 year old lady who had her LSA 3 weeks ago:

"It has been almost 3 weeks since my LSA operation and I would like to write a quick note to tell you how extremely happy I am.

I was quite nervous before the operation, however your staff made me feel very comfortable at all times. I have never met such warm and kind nurses. They provided me with all the necessary information and Dr Whiteley treated me with the utmost professional care.

In fact, after my very first consultation I was 100% sure about my life changing decision. I followed all of your recommendations and after the operation I only had slight discomfort for the first and second days.

The following week my swelling went down and I had no pain. I could not believe my eyes when I dressed myself into a white shirt.

No sweaty patches at all. The LSA surgery has been 99% successful on left arm and 95% on right arm. There are literally no words to describe how free and confident I feel these last few weeks. I can wear clothes that I could only dream of before and I feel a lot more confident. My feet and hands also sweat less than before. I truly thank you. I just wish I had done my operation years ago. I strongly recommend Dr Mark Whiteley's clinic and his caring nurses to any one who has similar concerns. "

40 LSA patients

2010-05-21T09:22:00.000-07:00

I am currently in Slovenia at an international conference presenting our cases to date.

We have now performed 33 cases for axillary hyperhidrosis (sweating) and 7 for Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat).

We are currently writing up our finding for publication and are also asking our patients to come back at one year for a long term check.

Improved anaesthetic technique for LSA

2010-05-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago we introduced a new "peristalitic pump" for giving the local anaesthetic in Laser Sweat Ablation patients.

This development has had 2 major advantages for our patinets:

1 - The local anaesthetic is now give by a tiny needle rather than a long and fairly thick tube called a "cannula" - which has made the procedure far more comfortable

2 - As the pump is at a high pressure, the local anaesthetic now opens up the area that we need to work in, reducing the amount of operating that we need to do to separate the skin from the underlying structures.

These developments have meant the LSA operation is now quicker and with far less discomfort thn previously.

Increased numbers of LSA patients for Hyperhidrosis and Bromhidrosis

2010-05-07T01:39:00.000-07:00

We have seen a steady increase in the numbers of patients having LSA for both hyperhidrosis and bromhidrosis.

We have now performed 30 cases for hyperhidrosis and 5 cases for Bromhidrosis - and we have 3 more procedures tomorrow!!

This summer we have a research fellow joining us for a few weeks who is going to look at the patinets who have had this procedure a year ago, to see how the longer term results are looking.

Keep an eye on this blog to get more information on the results of LSA as we obtain them.

LSA in Bromhidrosis - 4th Patient

2010-04-23T05:10:00.000-07:00

Today I saw the 4th patient to have LSA for Bromhidrosis.

She has had a very good improvement - better on one side than the other.

Her own assessment of the improvement was 85-90% improvement in smell and sticky sweat on the right side and 50 - 60% on the left.

We are now analysing her results - along with our other patients - to find out why one side was better than the other in order to improve the technique further.

However, as precious little else works for Bromhidrosis, even a 50% improvement can dramatically improve the quality of life for those who suffer from Bromhidrosis.

30 cases of LSA performed

2010-04-15T01:39:00.000-07:00

We have now performed 30 cases of LSA since having done the first in the UK in March 2009.

I will be presenting the results of our first year this weekend at the Cosmetic Expo meeting in London (2:00 - 2:30) and will then be submitting the results to be published.

We have continued develop the LSA procedure, trying to improve the results for our patients, and we will be publishing some of the experience that we - and our patients - have had.

This summer, we have a research fellow coming to The Whiteley Clinic to run a study on LSA which should further increase our understanding of the operation and should lead to even better results in the future.

Please keep watching this blog for further information.

Presentation of 1 year results of LSA

2010-04-08T03:36:00.001-07:00

Mark Whiteley will be presenting his one year results of LSA at Cosmetic News Expo in London on Saturday 17th April.

Further improvements to LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation)

2010-03-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

Since I performed the first LSA in the UK last year (the one that is in the video on the BBC website), I have modified the technique considerably.

Over the last 3 months I have made one further modification - I have changed the order of the steps of the procedure and have also changed some of the steps.

This has resulted in a speeding up of the procedure, and early results seem to show an improvement in the results.

This summer, we are also looking at a research project that might be offered to some volunteers to test out some of the theories of LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation), to see if it is possible to improve the procedure further. We already have an 81% sweat reduction at 6 weeks - so further improvement will be difficult - but at The Whiteley Clinic we are always striving for the very best results for our patients.

Keep an eye on htis blog for further updates.

One year anniversary of Laser Sweat Ablation - LSA

2010-03-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hello all -

Well I have returned from the Charity ride through India - and have spent a couple of weeks madly catching up with work - and performing another LSA!!!

On 5th March (2 days ago) we celebrated my 1 year anniversary of performing the first LSA in the UK. Unfortunately, as I have been so busy, the celebration was very quick !!!!

I am presenting my one year results at a conference in April - more details will follow shortly here.

The laser sweat ablation video of the original procedure is now on our You Tube Channel:

1st LSA procedure in the UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DccoD71KnLU

This is part of the new Whiteley Clinic channel on You Tube: www.youtube.com/TheWhiteleyClinic

2 weeks of silence .... for Charity

2010-01-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

I am posting this blog entry just to say that I will be away for 2 weeks - and therefore there won't be an update for the next couple of weeks or so.

I am off on a charity fund raising motorbike ride through India - www.india-2010.co.uk.

I should be back to post more info in the second week of February.

"The Best Money That I Have Ever Spent"

2010-01-15T07:38:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I saw a 41 year old professional gentleman 6 weeks after his LSA for Hyperhidrosis.

Since his operation he has had no problems at all from underarm sweating.

He went on a long distance flight over Christmas which he says usually causes him to have severe under-arm sweating - however after the LSA he had none whatsoever.

On sweat testing today his measured sweat reductions were:

Right armpit - 78% reduction of sweat volume
Left armpit - 72% reduction of sweat volume

He has said he will write up his experiences but in the meantime said "It is the best money that I have ever spent". The picture is a photo of the same gentleman when he attended for his first assessment before his LSA.

Results of first 23 LSA patients presented in Paris at the IMCAS

2010-01-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today I presented the results from the first 23 patients who have had LSA at The Whiteley Clinic at the IMCAS meeting in Paris.

20 were for sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis) and 3 for Bromhidrosis.

As those of you who have followed the story of LSA on this blog and http://markwhiteley.blogspot.com/ before that will know, the first 2 patients had the technique as recommended during my training abroad - and I was not happy with the results. The subsequent ones have all had a new modified technique - see previous posts for details.

Unfortunately the second patient withdrew her consent for me to use her photos and refused to come back for follow up - so although I know the results was not as I would have liked, I have been unable to identify if there is anything that can be done. However I have included her in the figures as a poor result - and have always pointed out this was one of the reasons that I changed from the recommended treatment protocol and modified it to my own.

Since that modification, the average decrease in sweating in the 18 patients who have had the modified procedure is 81% by volume at 6 weeks.

I am currently writing up these results for publication with the lessons that I have learned - the few poor results that I have had, and, in those with bad results who I have been able to investigate, how we can get round any problem that I have found.

There is certainly a lot more research to be done to perfect this procedure, but when compared to any other technique available for axillary sweating (hyperhidrosis) it current appears to be one of the best - if not the best - available.

Reduction in price in 2010 - and over 80% reduction in sweating

2009-12-22T04:29:00.000-08:00

Well it is Christmas - and we have 2 bits of news to bring festive cheer and an happy new year!!

Firstly, the LSA (laser sweat ablation) has been so successful that we have been able to negotiate some of our costs down for 2010. As such, we can now offer the whole LSA package for £2990 - a saving of £510!!! In addition, this can be paid over 3 months in 3 equal installments.

The package for £2990 includes:

Preliminary consultation with Mr Mark Whiteley MS FRCS who brought LSA into the UK
A sweat test to determine the amount of armpit sweating
The LSA procedure
Follow up at 1 week if clinically needed
Additional follow-ups if clinically needed
At 6 weeks, a further sweat test to check the reduction in sweat production and a final check up

This coincides with our latest findings - that using The Whiteley Clinic method of Laser Sweat Ablation, we are now averaging an over 80% of sweat production from the arm-pit.

A further success for LSA - Laser Sweat Ablation

2009-12-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Mr Whiteley

I wanted to express my thanks to you and your team for my recent laser ablation surgery.
I had always suffered from excessive sweating and it had affected me in many ways. It had a huge effect on my self confidence and made me think very carefully about what clothes I would wear.

My wardrobe mainly consisted of dark clothing and when I first started work, I would often have to use the hand drier in the rest room to dry out my shirt. This was incredibly embarrassing.

I had tried many products including aluminium based deodorants, however, I had never been able to find anything that would actually work.

The most frustrating thing for me would be that having washed and dressed in the morning, by the time I would leave the house I would already have large sweat patches under both arms.
I would worry about friends and colleagues noticing my problem and felt that this added anxiety made me sweat even more.

I feel that my GP didn't take the issue seriously, he prescribed me beta blockers which did absolutely nothing for me. I later found out that these were not suitable for someone of my age.
I had considered botox but didn't like the idea of having to have further injections every 6 months or so.

I was initially worried about the LSA procedure but having had the first consultation, and having heard of the results of previous patients, I knew it was the best option for me.
The surgery itself wasn't even half as bad as I thought it might be and feel silly for having worried about this at all. June, Carrie and Dee were a great help and kept my mind off the procedure.

I wore the compression garment for four days and was able to sleep as normal.
The skin did become quite lumpy afterwards and I would get the occasional pain when stretching out to reach something. However, after six weeks my skin was back to normal and it is as though I had never even had the procedure.

I haven't noticed any sweat since and was very pleased to hear that my sweating has been reduced by 90% on my right arm pit and 100% on my left!

These results were again confirmed during my final iodine test at The Whiteley Clinic.

I no longer have to think about what I wear and can look forward to my wedding next year without worrying about sweat patches!

A massive thank you to you and everyone at The Whiteley Clinic. I hope that this procedure continues to be a success and is able to help many more people overcome this embarrassing condition.

Kind regards

Over 90% reduction of arm pit sweating

2009-12-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we had the 6 week follow up of a 27 year old man.

He had his LSA at The Whiteley Clinic 6 weeks ago and has had no sweating at all since. The area felt a little "lumpy" for 3-4 weeks but there was no skin breakdown nor any other problem.

He didn't have any time off work.

On testing today, his right armpit has 100% less sweat (no sweating at all) and on the left, a reduction of 90%.

He is very pleased with his new dry axilla and is writing a testimonial about his experience.

New testimonial from a happy LSA patient

2009-12-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

This has just come through from a patient who had LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation) at The Whiteley Clinic.

He was a 3 year old gentleman who had been suffering from Axillary Hyperhidrosis (sweating from his arm-pits):

“Since I saw you week last Friday, the only thing that has changed has been my confidence that having this operation was the best decision I have ever made.

I simply can’t describe how it has changed my life, and whilst I know that my hyperhidrosis wasn’t as bad as that experienced by some, as far as I was concerned it was!

To describe my experience for others thinking about it:

The operation – Was far less painful or uncomfortable that I was expecting, even the administration of the local anaesthetic wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. You and your team were genuinely very helpful and friendly throughout, including recognising me and chatting when I came back for check ups.

The days after the operation – I agree the compression jacket wasn’t exactly comfortable, and I fed back to you a change that I’m sure will help future patients, but could have been much worse. I am a light sleeper anyway so no real change on that front, couple of nurofen every 4-6 hours for 48 hours and all was well, no serious pain at all. I removed the compression jacket after 48 hours and noticed the grazing you mentioned online. This weaped a little for the next 24 hours but nothing to worry about, I kept it clean and dry with antiseptic wipes for the next 7-10 days and it healed exactly as you said it would.

The weeks after the operation – Due to the grazing I held off a little longer before having a proper shower with the shower head above my head, it was a very enjoyable day when I decided to go back to normal! Otherwise with the exception of ensuring I remember to stretch each morning and night the day to day health impact has been zero.

The change! – I can’t describe the impact it has had on my life, as another patient mentioned, I have done the same and bought almost a whole new wardrobe of shirts and suits knowing that I won’t ruin them anymore. My confidence in both my day to day work and home life has changed immeasurably, I presented to a couple of hundred people the other day, a task I would previously have hated, but now relished the challenge.

A huge thank you for developing and bringing this operation to the UK!”

Another Life Changing LSA (Laser Sweat Ablation)

2009-11-20T07:15:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we saw a 33 year old man who works as a director of a company.

Six weeks ago he had his LSA at The Whiteley Clinic.

Before the operation his sweating was so severe he had to change his shirt at work so that the wet patch under his arms didn't embarrass him.

He had tried anti-perspirants but these had not been strong enough to have any effect.

He underwent LSA at The Whiteley Clinic. In the first week, the skin under the right arm broke down - this looked like a graze.

However, he kept it clean and dry and kept up a normal life, going to work as normal.

Six weeks later he has come back to see us ... and just as our last patient said yesterday ... it has been "life-changing" for him.

His results are:

87% reduction of sweat on the right
95% reduction of sweat on the left

He has promised to write about his experience and so you should be able to see his testimonial here later.

"A life changing operation" - over 80% reduction of under arm sweating

2009-11-19T04:56:00.000-08:00

This morning week saw our 13th patient for his 6 weeks post operative check up.

He is a 39 year old man who had severe hyperhidrosis (under-arm sweating) from both sides. He was in a public facing job and the severe sweating was csuing him severe problem at work - soaking thorough his shirt.

This made him very self-conscious that had a very adverse effect of his enjoyment of his role.

He had tried some antiperspirants - including very strong ones with Aluminium in them. Unfortunately they had caused him skin irritation making it impossible for him to use them.

He came to The Whiteley Clinic for Laser Sweat Ablation and his sweat test confirmed sever hyperhidrosis - the subsequent iodine and starch test (shown) showed exactly where the sweat glands were.

On the right side the glands have an extension towards the arm - on the left side they lie in a regular fashion.

He went thorough the LSA procedure. As he works shifts he was able to fit this in at the beginning of a few days off and so missed no work at all.

At 8 days, he did have a small area where the skin broke down - but having shown us, he kept it clean and dry and it healed without problem.

He kept full mobility of his arms throughout the recovery.

Today, the repeat sweat test shows:

82% reduction of sweating on the right
92% reduction of sweating on the left

The patient is very pleased with the reduction of sweating. in his own words, the LSA operation at The Whiteley Clinic was "life changing".

21 patients so far .....

2009-11-16T02:00:00.000-08:00

On Saturday we performed the LSA procedure on our 20th and 21st patients.

The first was our 18th LSA for Axillary Hyperhidrosis and the 21st was our 3rd patient for Bromhidrosis.

Our success rates for Axillary hyperhidrosis remain at 72% reduction of sweat volume by this procedure - making almost all of our patients sweat free.

Another happy LSA patient from The Whiteley Clinic

2009-11-10T02:03:00.000-08:00

I have just received this e-mail from a 37 year old lady who had Laser Sweat Ablation at The Whiteley Clinic last month:

Without sounding too cheesy, this procedure has changed my life. I went shopping at the weekend and spent loads of money on new tops. I refused to buy anything black and literally went round the shops picking up anything with a colour in it. My work colleagues have said that it's like having a new woman in the office. Not only am I wearing different clothes, I am also wearing the biggest smile. Thank you.

The operation was the most surreal experience. I was a little nervous about being awake for the procedure but looking back on it now, I am thrilled to have been aware of everything that was going on. I would even go as far as to say that it was actually quite a good laugh! There was no pain during the operation. I was just disappointed that I couldn't see more of what was being done. It was fascinating! The staff at the clinic are fantastic and are very talented to be able to get one of those compression jackets on someone.

Once the procedure was over and I was dressed and having a cup of tea, I burst into tears. I'm not sure if this was the adrenalin or through sheer relief that something that has dominated my life for so long, was now finally over.

I spent the next few days squeezed into the compression jacket - this is the worst part. They are so uncomfortable and god help you if you get an itch! I have to say though, it's a small price to pay for the result that I got. I was a bit tender for a few days and then my armpits felt like they were sunburnt. I'm nearly two weeks on from having the operation and 90% of the time I forget that I've had it done, but now and then I get a sharp reminder.

The only thing I need to do now, is train myself to un-fold my arms. I've spent twenty odd years trying to hide hideous sweat patches and it's going to take some time to get used to letting them swing by my sides. I also need stop thinking about whether or not I'm sweating because so far I haven't. Now it really is, all in the mind! :-)

Most gratefully yours.

Latest Testimonial on LSA for Axillary Hyperhidrosis

2009-11-04T07:24:00.000-08:00

This was recieved today from a 25 year old lady, who is a teacher, who had LSA for severe Axillary Hyperhidrosis - especially when teaching - performed 12 weeks ago:

My LSA experience

Three months have now passed since I had my LSA operation on the 7th August. I am really pleased with the results and would recommend this treatment to anyone who suffers from hyperhydrosis.

I was very worried about the operation and although the operation was not pleasant, I found it just about bearable; Mr Whiteley and his nurses were excellent in reassuring me and keeping me chatting away!

In the evening following the operation I had pins and needles in my arms but this was caused by the compression garment being too tight; after calling Mr Whiteley I cut the garment slightly at my elbows to release the pressure on my arms.

The only problem that I had was when sleeping with the compression garment on. I found it particularly uncomfortable and the garment gave me back ache as it was very tight. Apart from this I suffered very little pain.

When I came to taking off the garment and dressings etc I found that the plasters were quite tricky to remove; I used a little water to loosen them and I left those on that were more stubborn. I was particularly careful not to get any water on the wounds for a week following the operation and I ensured that I stretched out my arms as much as possible as the tendons in my arms did get very tight and I had reduced movement.

I had no sweating until about 10 days following the operation when I visited a friend and as usual, I got a little nervous and I began to sweat, although no patches were visible. I was disillusioned by this and then when I returned to work as a teacher I was again disappointed that actually I was still sweating, with small marks. A great improvement, but not the success I was looking for.

At my six week check up I was told that the sweating had reduced by 80%, which I was shocked by. Mr Whiteley thought that with time I would get more confident that I was not sweating as much and that the overall situation would improve. I know that my sweating is significantly related to anxiety and I am now trying to address my anxiety issues so that I feel more confident and less worried that I will sweat.

It is important to mention that I do not find my work easy at all and therefore I am in my most stressful situation and hence why I still sweat from time to time, particularly when I am taking a class that I find particularly difficult.

Mr Whiteley has recommended me using Robinul tablets when I know that I have a particularly difficult morning/afternoon at school and for occasions when I would usually sweat more (balls, weddings because of clothing) as this stops the body from sweating. I have bought 25 tablets and will only use if and when I feel it necessary.

Since the check up I certainly feel that outside of work there has been a huge improvement and I rarely sweat. I am getting more and more confident about the success of the operation and at work, sweating is certainly much reduced, although I still feel more confident wearing dark clothing.

I do however feel that as I become more assured as a teacher and as I become more confident that I will not sweat then hopefully I will continue to sweat less and less. I would still recommend LSA as it has greatly reduced my sweating.

I think I was hoping that the sweating would stop all together, which given that my sweating is so related to anxiety, was perhaps a little overambitious. A huge thank you to all the staff at the Whiteley clinic; on each visit I have found everyone to be friendly and caring.

Second Bromhidrosis patient at 2 months after LSA

2009-10-23T02:22:00.000-07:00

Today I saw the second patient who I have treated with LSA for Bromhidrosis.

Immediately after the operation she had no sweating at all, and no smell. She did develop a lump under the right arm which is slowly going down by itself with time.

Now, 2 months later, she has found that when she gets anxious, she does get a little sweat. Also, she can smell the Bromhidrosis at these times, although she thinks it is only about 50% (half) the amount of smell she used to have.

This means that she is now able to control the smell with deodorant, making her the same as a great many people without Bromhidrosis - so in effect, although not perfect, the LSA has cured her Bromhidrosis.

She is also aware that if she could stop the anxiety (ie: stop worrying about it) she would reduce the drive of her body's hormone system to produce sweat.

She is going to keep me updated regularly with how she gets on in the future.

First Results from LSA for Bromhidrosis

2009-10-21T03:16:00.000-07:00

Our first patient who had LSA for Bromhidrosis 2 months ago has sent us the following e-mail:

"Overall I think it went extremely well.

It's just over 2 months now since the op and my armpits look almost normal (any lumpiness has just about gone).

There has been a considerable reduction in sweating/smell to the point that I havent had to wear antiperspirant/deo since then.

I'm really glad I had the procedure done."

I am due to see the second patient who had this procedure for bromhidrosis later this week so will post her comments then.

LSA results to be presented in Paris in Jan 2010

2009-10-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

I have just received confirmation that I am to present my results on LSA at the IMCAS conference in Paris in Janaury 2010.

The IMCAS meeting is an international meeting that is held 2 or 3 times a year - but the Annual meeting is always in Paris in January.

IMCAS stands for the International Master Course on Aging Skin - and initially it concentrated on the skin alone. However, as the conference has grown, it has come to include all areas of plastic and aesthetic surgery and medicine - hence hyperhidrosis (sweating) fits perfectly into this meeting.

My abstract will present our results from using LSA - laser sweat ablation - both on patients with Axilary Hyperhidrosis as well as Bromhidrosis.

4 and 1/2 months after LSA ....

2009-10-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

I received this e-mail this week.

The patient is a young lady and had her LSA 4 and a half months ago:

Dear Mr Whiteley,

It has been several months now since I had the LSA procedure now (beginning June I think), and I just wished to update you on how I am getting on.

Having had no sweat at all for about a month or so after the operation, and on my subsequent sweat tests, I think I have now reached an equilibrium to what I can now call normal. I would say i sweat about the same as most people now, and am still very happy with the results.I no longer sweat if thinking about it, or if worrying about something, or whilst stationary; as it were, so very good results.

I still have to think about what I will wear for instance if I will be walking for a distance, or may get hot for whatever reason, which i suppose is the same as for anybody now.

If I wear a t-shirt under what I am wearing, then this stops any moisture from reaching my outer layer, in these circumstances, and i remain to still not have to suffer any more massive sweat patches through however many layers anymore! Any small patches seem to dry themselves out! Success!

Its great to have finally found something that works! My lost confidence is now growing.

I hope you are well,

With Kind Regards

G

16th LSA patient and Laser Sweat Reduction

2009-10-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I performed the 16th LSA procedure at The Whiteley Clinic.

The operation went very well - now that we have standardised our treatment procedures, the whole thing took 1 and a half hours to perform.

During the day, it was brought to my notice that another clinic is offering "Laser Sweat Reduction".

As we have not run our first course to teach this technique yet, this was something of a surprise. On further investigation, it appears that the clinic doctor has seen the video of the first LSA procedure that I performed on the BBC website and has started performing a technique from the little information given there.

Of course it may work - but it is a concern that as we have spent a long time this last year getting the LSA procedure right, that someone without knowing the settings and techniques we have developed to overcome problems, is offering a technique without training.

Therefore a sensible check list to ask anyone before agreeing to have a new procedure such as this would be:

Where and when did you train in Laser Sweat Ablation?
How many have you done?
What is your success rate?
What % reduction in sweat do you see before and after the procedure?
What other operations do you do for sweating - ie: have you had experience of ETS?
Where are you publishing your results?

As with any new procedure, there is a temptation for many to "jump on the band-wagon". We have seen this following our introduction of VNUS Closure to the UK in March 1999 - and we would like to avoid the same thing happening again with LSA.

Our aim with LSA is to keep pushing forwards to improve the technique further, get some better understanding of the science to get more consistant results and to teach our techniques to a group of doctors who want to perform the technique to the same standards that we insist on in our own practice.

15th Patient

2009-10-09T00:33:00.000-07:00

Having been away lecturing in Romania on Laser Sweat Ablation, I have now returned and this week performed the 15th case.

The first 10 cases are through their first 6 weeks follow up - and so far the results are much better than one would expect of a new operation.

I am writing up the first 10 cases for publication in the peer-reviewed medical journals - but so far only one person has needed any additional procedure - the patient who was featured earlier in this blog.

On average, my patients have had a 72% reduction in sweating from their arm-pits after LSA the way that we now perform it.

More early success for Bromhidrosis

2009-09-07T03:02:00.000-07:00

We have now had reports back from 2 patients with Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat) who we have treated with LSA - Laser Sweat Ablation.

Both have now reported that at 3 weeks after the operation, they have no smell at all from their underarms.

Of course this is still early days - but this looks very hopeful for the treatment of Bromhidrosis in the future.

2 more Testimonials from LSA Patients

2009-09-06T14:01:00.000-07:00

We have been sent 2 more testimonials from patients who have had LSA for Hyperhidrosis. Both of these were males:

Mr M.McN:

Following surgery, I took a five day recovery period before going back into work. During this time I was not overly mobile as I spent most of this stint in bed, whilst still moving and stretching the relevant areas as advised by the clinic. At the same time I did my best to ensure all bandaging remained secure and in position, receiving assistance when required.

Having been quite wary and cautious regarding my recovery time, I did not take the garment and bandaging off for four days, carefully managing to clean around the tender areas whilst being very careful to keep them away from any moisture. Considering the manual nature of my employment, I obtained further sterilised bandages/pads which I used to replace the original protection for when I returned to work. This provided prolonged cushioning and support to the still-tender skin.

It wasn’t until approximately seventeen days following the operation that I found myself comfortable enough to shower and subsequently clean the wounds comprehensibly for the first time.

Six weeks following the surgery I now find that I am moving freely again, yet sudden movements still serve as a reminder that certain areas/nerves may still be sensitive to stretching or expansive movements. As regards the results of the surgery as a whole, I have found an extremely positive improvement and a significance decrease in sweating.

Mr R W:

Dear Mr Whiteley, I would like to thank you and your fantastic team for the highly successful LSA procedure I underwent 6 weeks ago. I feel much more comfortable and relaxed knowing my hyperhidrosis condition is now under control. Upon reading into the procedure for the first time I knew it was the right option for me, other treatments I had tried using beforehand were unsuccessful although strong over-the-counter antiperspirants such as driclor gave me some relief (except at night when I applied it!) but did not give great enough results.

My options became limited and LSA in my opinion trumped the alternatives of botox or keyhole surgery as the results are permanent and the risks are greatly reduced in comparison with other surgical techniques.

Coming into the clinic for the first time I was a little nervous but after meeting you and the other lovely staff who dealt with me I felt very comfortable, every staff member seemed very freindly and professional which really put me at ease when it actually came round to the operation. For the whole time I was under the laser in theatre I felt very relaxed and apart from the initial application of the anaesthetic I couldn't feel anything but numbness and a strange pulling of the skin, sort of unexplainable, but there was no pain.

The team in theatre with me were really chatty and had a good sense of humor throughout, they even had a very convincing laugh when I tried to be funny! Post-op came around very quickly and it was time for me to put on the compression jacket, after having the setup done for me I then tried to move the dressings for better comfort only to find that I had moved them out of place and so had to have the poor nurse re-adjust them for me!

After 3 days I had the jacket off expecting to see heavy bruising however at no point was there bruising that prevalent. Movement in my arms for the next couple of days felt awkward but with regualar arm excercises I had a speedy recovery. 6 weeks on and im far past fully recovered, the only side-effect being the patchy hair growth on both underarms however this i've been told can be expected and the hair can still grow back normally.

Despite this im still very happy I went through with the procedure and I am very pleased with the results. I'm looking forward to returning to university later this month and actually sitting through lectures without worry.

Thanks again to the Whiteley Clinic team you've done a fantastic job."

75% reduction of sweat by volume

2009-09-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

Today our 8th patient completed his full follow up.

He has healed very well, with little sign of the surgery already. He had been back to work only days after the procedure. He doesn't notice any under-arm sweating anymore since the Laser Sweat Ablation procedure at The Whiteley Clinic.

Looking at all of our measurements so far, the Laser Sweat Ablation procedure at The Whiteley Clinic (as modified after our 2nd patient - see previous blog) has on average reduced axillary sweating by 75.1% (average used = Mean).

Only one of our patients has had any noticeable arm-pit sweating after the procedure - and he is going to have the small area retreated (see previous blog entry).

So far, the LSA procedure as modified by The Whiteley Clinic is proving to be very successful and has a high patient satisfaction rate.

Early hope for curing Bromhidrosis by LSA ....

2009-08-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update today .....

One week after our first patient having LSA for Bromhidrosis, she has contacted us to say so far she is smell and sweat free.

Obviously this is only the result at one week, but after wearing the compression garment for 48 hours, one might expect the smell on removal of that.

We will keep a close eye on our patients and report any changes here.

Improved scars from laser sweat ablation - second case for Bromhidrosis

2009-08-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

Today we performed the second case of LSA for Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat).

Our patient was very concerned that she didn't want the scars to be visible when wearing an evening dress.

Therefore we were able to move the incisions to make the scars virtually invisible when wearing such clothes - but were still able to get good access to perform the procedure.

Following on from this success, we will now be offering all of our patients the new incision points to make the results as cosmetically pleasing as possible.

Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat) and Laser Sweat Ablation

2009-08-15T03:54:00.000-07:00

This morning we performed our first LSA in a patient for Bromhidrosis - smelly sweating from the armpits.

Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) is primarily aimed at treating Hyperhidrosis - not Bromhidrosis.

Hyperhidrosis is excessive sweat (excessive water) coming from the eccrine sweat glands.

Bromhidrosis is a more greasy sweat that comes from the apocrine sweat glands.

These sweat glands get activated at the time of puberty, and are concentrated where the hair is found that grows at the time of puberty - mainly the arm-pits (axilla), groins and perineal (bottom) areas.

Although many people are also concerned about bacterial overgrowth being a major contributing factor to bromhidrosis, the underlying association is clearly with the apocrine sweat glands.

Therefore we performed the LSA today for several reasons - firstly it will reduce the small amount of moisture which worsens the bromhidrosis (allowing the greasy apocrine secretions to flow further and providing a moist enviroment for bacteria to grow in) as well as trying to directly destroy and remove a proportion of the apocrine glands.

Clearly we don't know if this treatment will work - however our patient is at her wits and having tried everything else she has been able to identify and nothing else has worked on her. The one problem from the scientific point of view is that we don't have a measure of smell - therefore we cannot measure a % reduction.

Although we will be working towards trying to quantify this value, in the meantime we are only allowing patients to have LSA for Bromhidrosis if they:

are finding the Bromhidrosis is affecting their life profoundly
they have tried every other available remedy they know of
they understand that this treatment may well not work - but they know there is nothing else available and they are prepared to try

We will post further results here and will publish our experiences into medical journals.

Ectopic Sweat Glands - Point to learn in Laser Sweat Ablation

2009-08-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

Today we saw a very interesting case.

One of our patients came back for his 6 weeks follow-up.

Pre-operatively he had been measured as being one of the heaviest sweating patients that we have had so far.

6 weeks after the Laser Sweat Ablation surgery, things were very much better - but he was our first patient who was still getting damp patches under his arms on his clothes.

Although these damp patches were very much smaller than he had been having before the surgery, our aim is to try to get the best possible result for all of our patients, and so we tried to find out why he is still getting some damp patches.

Sweat testing showed that on the right side, the volume of sweat had reduced by 85%.

Iodine and starch test (see first 2 pictures) show where the sweating is coming from.

In the pre-operative photo, we can see his main sweating was coming from the middle of his arm-pit.

In today's follow-up picture, we can see that this has been cured. However, by there is a patch of sweating higher than the armpit.

This shows a patch of sweat glands that are not in the usual place - therefore medically called "ectopic sweat glands" - the word "ectopic" meaning "in the wrong place". These ectopic sweat glands were not treated and so are now producing sweat that is running down into the armpit.

Looking now at the next 2 photos, we can see what has happened in the left arm-pit.

On this side, the sweat test measured only a 46% reduction of sweat volume - the lowest that w have had so far.

The iodine and starch test reveals what has happened.

On the left side, we can see that the patient has the same ectopic patch of sweat glands on this side - but also has a patch of sweat glands in the middle of the armpit which have been missed at surgery.

Therefore although there has been a very good improvement on the right, and a fair improvement on the left, we are planning to do another treatment.

As there are only these 3 areas to treat, this re-do will be quick and much simpler.

Recovery should be similarly quick and easy.

We will return to this case in the future to show the outcome from the redo procedure.

10th Laser Sweat Ablation operation and LSA for Bromhidrosis (smelly sweat)

2009-08-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

I have just completed the 10th Laser Sweat Operation at The Whiteley Clinic and am reviewing the results so far.

I am collating the results in order to present them to research meetings, and to publish them. In addition, the results are now looking good enough to start teaching this technique and so we are arranging our course for the next few months for interested doctors.

By publishing our results, we will hopefully be able to bring the Laser Sweat Ablation operation into many hospitals, and to get NICE to approve it. Once this happens, the Private Medical Insurers and the NHS might be interested in funding these procedures for certain patients.

One other thing of note, one patient came to see me this week to see if Laser Sweat Ablation might be useful for Bromhidrosis - smelly sweating from the arm-pit. This is a question I cannot answer yet. Theoretically LSA should improve it to some extent and certainly shouldn't make it any worse.

Although I am happy to use LSA to try to cure Bromhidrosis, there is not evidence that it would work or that it wouldn't. Hopefully over the next few months we should get some indication as to whether this is a useful treatment of not.

100% success so far with reduction of sweating from Laser Sweat Ablation at The Whiteley Clinic

2009-07-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

A with everything we do at The Whiteley Clinic, we are keeping our audit of our patients up to date, and are collecting the figures and comments form our patients to show how our changes to the original Laser Sweat Ablation operation are working.

Since we made major modifications to the Laser Sweat Ablation procedure, we have had 7 patients so far. All have had very good to excellent results to date. All have stopped sweating from their under-arms - so far the measured decrease in volumes are between 70% and 98% less sweat.

As far as this translates to everyday life, our patients so far have said that it has changed their lives as they now don't need to worry about damp patches and what they wear.

We have several more LSA operations coming up and will be presenting our results to medical societies later this year. We will also keep this blog up to date as to both successes and failures (if any).

New Laser Sweat Ablation website

2009-07-23T01:30:00.000-07:00

Today we have launched the new laser sweat ablation website.

With page on the technique, risks and side-effects, costs, training etc, it should be a fairly comprehensive run through about our new technique.

We will continue to put FAQ's and new information up on that site regularly - but will out the results and the changes that we make up on this blog - as well as answering questions or comments.

If you would like to visit the Laser Sweat Ablation website, it is on www.LaserSweatAblation.co.uk.

Another patient with excellent result from LSA at 6 weeks

2009-07-09T05:10:00.000-07:00

I have just seen another patient for her 6 weeks post LSA follow-up.

The pictures show both of her axillae (arm-pits) today.

The wounds are very well healed and will soon virtually disappear.

The iodine and starch test shows the starch stays white - any sweat would show up as black spots.

The skin has healed well and virtually all the lumps she had in the first couple of weeks have completely disappeared.

The sweat test shows that she has decreased the volume of sweat from her under arms by over 80% on each side - to virtually no sweat at all.

The patient is very happy and has just bought herself a whole new set of tops - all of the colours and materials she hasn't been able to wear before.

The only side-effect she has had at all is a slight numbness in the skin of the arm-pit. however she says this does not affect her at all.

Further success of LSA using new protocol

2009-07-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Our 4th patient - the second on our new protocol - has reported back to us now they are 6 weeks post LSA.

The patient has been to several functions, including a family wedding in the hottest part of this summer, and not had any problems at all with under-arm sweating.

It was to stop sweating at this event that he had undergone LSA, knowing he was one of the first to have it - but was desperate not to let his axillary hyperhidrosis ruin the day.

Thanks to the success of the laser sweat ablation, he was able to enjoy the day without any under-arm sweating at all.

Laser Sweat Ablation - Testimonial

2009-07-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

I have just received a testimonial from our third patient - who was the first one who had our modified procedure:

"It has been seven weeks since I underwent the laser sweat ablation procedure and I am truly thrilled with my results. Excessive underarm sweating was something that had bothered me for years, so when I heard about this new treatment I was keen to find out more.

After an initial sweat test to confirm that I had axillary hyperhidrosis, and a blood test to ensure that this wasn’t due to something more sinister, I had a consultation with Mr Whiteley to discuss the new procedure and other options available to me. The consultation was very informative and I was confident that this operation would potentially make a huge difference to my life.

The operation itself was conducted under local anaesthetic and I was made to feel very comfortable and well informed. An iodine test first identified the areas of sweating from which Mr Whiteley was able to establish which areas to focus on before conducting the procedure.

After the operation, my underarms were cleaned and dressed before I was helped into a compression garment which I had to wear for the following two days. After a few hours the anaesthetic began to wear off and my armpits were a little tender. I took paracetamol regularly for two days to help with the pain.

Two days after the operation, I went back into the Whiteley Clinic for a check-up. The nurses helped me out of my compression garment and my underarms were healing well, with only a little bruising. Over the next few days my underarms were feeling a little tight and sudden movements caused a tinge of pain at times. However the nurses explained that the tightness would go with a bit of encouragement from regularly moving my arms up and down and sure enough I had no trouble lifting my arms up a couple of days later.

I had another check-up the following week, during which Mr Whiteley and his team were really pleased with the outcome. My underarms were feeling fine, the bruising had almost gone, and most importantly I was no longer sweating from them. I was a little concerned about a few lumps that had developed but I was assured that these would go down with time, and they have.

I had one last check-up six and a half weeks after the operation, during which a sweat test and iodine test were conducted. Compared to my initial tests, the results were outstanding with evidence of only a trace of sweat.

I am really pleased that I made the decision to have this done and would certainly recommend the laser sweat ablation procedure to anyone who suffers from axillary hyperhidrosis. I have had no noticeable sweating since the operation and can now wear any colour of clothing without worrying about sweaty patches appearing!

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Whiteley and his team for conducting the procedure, being on call for any queries I had and for being so caring over the weeks following my operation."

Improved results from LSA - Laser Sweat Ablation

2009-07-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

This has been an excellent week for LSA - Laser Sweat Ablation - in the UK.

Anyone who has been following the story of LSA on my blog http://markwhiteley.blogspot.com/ will know that I had to make changes to the technique after our second patient.

Since then we have done 4 more patients with the new procedure - and the results could not have been better.

On Tuesday this week, I saw the 6th patient, 5 days post LSA.

He told me that he had not had any pain at all since the operation - The long acting local anaesthetic that we have introduced has clearly worked.

He had only worn the compression garment for 1 and a half days - he was able to move both arms without any problems whatsoever.

His very small 3-4 mm wounds were fully healed. most importantly of all - he had no had any underarm sweating at all since the LSA procedure.

This good news was made even better today.

My third patient cam back for her 6 weeks follow up.

Her photographs are here on the blog - the first two show what her underarms look like today.
The tiny incisions have healed beautifully and are well on their way to disappearing.

The skin is healthy and soft.

There is no hard scarring or any other problem.

She has not had any sweating at all since the operation.
When we measured the sweat production today, there was a 3 fold decrease in sweat produced from each arm-pit.
The iodine tests are shown here as well.

In the iodine test, brown iodine is placed on the skin and then white starch powder is sprinkled on the skin.

Areas that are dry stay white.
Skin that is still sweating goes black.

You can judge for yourself the success of the procedure - on the right arm-pit there is a 95% improvement by Laser Sweat Ablation and on the left 100% improvement.

The only complication at all has been a slight reduction in sensation in the skin right in the middle of the arm-pit.

However the patient hasn't found this to be a problem at all.

Our 4th patient is due for his 6 week tests next week and I am looking forwards to seeing him.

Having analysed my results to date, I am certain that the changes that I made after my second patient have improved the outcomes of the laser sweat ablation procedure.

Therefore I am confident now that, using the new LSA procedure, I can give my patients the best chances of a good result with least risk of complications.

Laser Sweat Ablation - LSA - Official Blog

2009-06-04T00:45:00.000-07:00

This is the new official blog for the Laser Sweat Ablation (LSA) operation.

All of our results and research on LSA and about LSA will be posted here.

For previous history of Laser Sweat Ablation including the history of how it was brough into the UK by Mr Mark Whiteley, please visit http://markwhiteley.blogspot.com target="blank".