FfSo Poll - information on side-effects of ETS

Which written information of possible side-effects did you get before the operation?

Possible side-effect	Number of patients who claim that such written information was given
Mild compensatory sweating	30
Moderate compensatory sweating	7
Horner's Syndrome	11
Gustatory sweating	7
Cold or warm hands	2
Cold or warm feet	1
Dry hands	2
Pain from the back	1
Pneumothorax or hemothorax	1

Out of 96 responding the poll 60 persons (62 %) claimed that no written information was given!

Which verbal information of possible side-effects did you get before the operation?

Possible side-effect	Number of patients who claim that such verbal information was given
Mild compensatory sweating	71
Moderate compensatory sweating	8
Stomach problems	1
Horner's Syndrome	21
Gustatory sweating	7
Reduced physical capacity	1
Cold or warm hands	4
Cold or warm feet	2
Other possible sideeffects (dry hands, sweaty feet, sweaty arms)	9

Out of 93 who answered this section 15 claimed that no verbal information was given. Out of these 15 persons 14 claimed that neither written nor verbal information was given!

A few comments from the patients regarding the verbal information:
"There should be no side-effects because I did the operation against facial blushing".

"On a direct question of were the sweat "goes" the doctor answered that there should be no CS."

"Mild CS that goes away after a few months".

"The sweat from the hands should come out somewhere else on the body".

"Mild CS that goes away by time".

"Less than 2 % regrets the operation".

Answer	Numbers
The surgeon	76
The nurse	2
Surgeon and nurse	1
Other person	1

One person has answered that, regarding the mild side effects he suffer from, the information was adequate.
3 have not answered or answered "don't know".
The rest of the group have answered that the informaton was inadequate.

A few personal comments regarding the information? Was it enough?

"No. Especially the fact that you recieved vital information close to the operation. You did'nt have the time to consider the pro's and con's.

"I got the impression that the scars were the worst side-effect. Now you can say that the information was not enough."

"It was completely inadequate. It embellished the operation. It was deliberately misguiding. It was unprofessional. It was cynical. It was devastating."

"NO absolutely not. I was part of a group of 5 persons. I never got to talk to the doctor alone."

"Now I know that the information was inadequate, but what did I know at that time. I did'nt know anyone who had done this operation, so I had to trust the surgeon."

"The information was too short and inadequate. I would never have taken the chance of doing the operation if I had known the risks."

"I was so young at the time of the operation (17). Today I would have done own investigations before I came to a descision. When you are a teenager you believe that what a surgeon and a chief doctor tells you is true. This is at least what it should be."

"I would never have done the operation if I had been informed of these serious side-effects, even if it was said that the risk of being affected only is a few percent."

"Written information is a "must". Verbal information is hard to understand when doctors use medical terms."

"Dr XXX said that the sweat should be redistributed after the operation. I had no problems with sweating before the operation and didn't take this problem seriously. The doctor said that I was lucky not to have this operation against sweating - since those people could risk compensatory sweating."

"Unsatisfactory. I met Dr XXX about 1 hour before the operation. Even if he had told me more than he did, it would have been very hard at that point to say no to the operation. I had already paid and been told that everything was "easy".

"Dr XXX said over the phone on several occations that I didn't risk any side effects at all."

" Lousy. I haven't been told anything but positive results, except direct malpractice and its side effects."

" I got the impression that the operation was as good as risk free."