Nerve surgery offers an end to the distress of chronic blushing
An operation to cure blushing is revolutionising the lives of those suffering from the embarrassment of a frequently red face.
Blushing affects both men and women, and is a normal response in anyone who is feeling a strong emotion, such as anger or embarrassment.
It can also be a side effect of other conditions including thyroid problems, the skin condition rosacea, erythrophobia – fear of blushing – and the menopause.
Embarrassed: Blushing occurs when a small amount of blood flows into the blood vessels located just below the skin. (Picture posed by model)
No one knows what causes excessive blushing but it does run in families. Sufferers may also be affected by hyperhydrosis, when the body sweats excessively.
Blushing occurs when an excess amount of blood flows into the small blood vessels located just below the surface of the skin.
The blood vessel muscles are controlled by the autonomic nervous system, which produces automatic reactions, such as breathing, blood pressure and sweating.
If the blood vessels contract more than normal, less blood passes through, and the skin becomes pale, but when the muscles are relaxed, the blood vessels widen allowing more blood to pass through resulting in a rosy flush.
Surgery called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy (ETS) was previously used only on those suffering from hyperhydrosis but is now being used on patients who find their chronic blushing a social embarrassment.
It works by blocking a branch of the nervous system called the T2 ganglion, which lies parallel to the spine.
The keyhole procedure, carried out under general anaesthetic, involves a puncture being made at the side of the chest, or next to the breast in women.
A small camera is fed into the chest between the ribs. To reach the back of the chest the lung must be compressed, which is done by introducing a gas into the chest cavity. This allows the camera to be passed over the lung to provide a clear view of the nerves.
Once one side of the nerve has been identified it can be destroyed with heat, cut with tiny scissors, or clamped and then the procedure is carried out on the other side.
After the nerve has been treated, any remaining gas is drained out of the chest cavity.
Most patients go home the day after surgery, and return to work two to three days later. Some experience severe sweating about three days after the operation, which lasts between 12 to 24 hours. Why this occurs is not understood.
Surgery: Operations to eliminate excessive blushing can be sought through the NHS - but 15 per cent of patients regret the surgery
Alan Cameron, consultant General & Vascular surgeon at the Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust, who carries out the procedure, says success rates are high.
'The success rate for hand sweating is 99 per cent, and 90 per cent for facial blushing,' he says.
He also says that patients who opt for blush surgery need to appreciate the risk of side effects. One of the most common is excessive sweating.
He says: 'Nearly every patient gets some degree of sweating, but it is only severe in about one to three per cent of patients.
'Overall, we find that up to 15 per cent of patients regret having ETS, and unfortunately the outcome cannot be predicted for any individual.'
One patient to have benefited from the procedure is Clive Benson, 39, a property developer. 'I'd suffered since I was a child and it was very embarrassing – it really affected my social life,' he says.
'I would often end conversations abruptly, and just walk out of the room if I felt it coming on. It was very difficult to be relaxed around people.'
Clive, who lives in Lancashire, was referred to a surgeon at the private Bishops Wood Hospital in Northwood, Middlesex two years ago.
The operation went smoothly and he was able to go home the next day. 'Its been life-changing,' says Clive who as a side effect now sweats much less under his arms but more on his back.
'After the operation I had to get some plastering done and I was quoted a price of £2,000. I was able to negotiate that down and saved nearly £600. I would not have had the guts to do that before.'
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