Q: Principle of axillary odor surgery A: Minimally invasive subcutaneous negative pressure aspiration is performed through a 7-8 mm skin incision to remove as many sweat glands as possible under the skin. Q: Indications for axillary odor surgery A: Minimally invasive treatment or botulinum toxin injection is recommended for moderate axillary odor that seriously affects study and work life, and botulinum toxin injection is recommended for mild axillary odor. Q: What is the length of the incision? Location? A: An incision, located in the skin folds of the armpit, is determined mainly by the size of the axillary hair range. The incision for minimally invasive negative pressure aspiration is approximately 6-8mm. Q: What is the cost of the procedure? A: The cost of minimally invasive aspiration is about 6000. If the procedure is repeated, the cost will be higher. If you are admitted to the hospital, you will have to pay a hospital fee of about $1000. Q: If I go to you on the same day as an outpatient, can I have the surgery on the same day, or do I have to make an appointment? Do I need to avoid menstruation? A: You need to make an appointment, but usually you cannot operate on the same day. It is better to have plenty of time for the surgery to ensure the quality. You need to avoid menstruation. Generally, our armpit aspiration surgery is scheduled on Sunday or Saturday. This way, we can change the medication 4-5 days after the surgery, just in time for the armpit clinic on Thursday morning, so that we can check the recovery of the armpit and deal with any situation in time. Q: Can I go to work after the surgery? How long do I need to rest from surgery and do I need to be hospitalized? A: After the surgery, both armpits will be packed with pressure bandages for 4-5 days, and it is best to reduce the activities of both hands and shoulders after the surgery. It is best to stay in the hospital for 4-5 days and then be discharged to rest at home for 4-5 days. If the axillary incision heals normally and there is no skin necrosis, you can go to work in 8-10 days. The surgery usually requires the outer booth of both shoulders to be wrapped and fixed for 4-5 days and the stitches are removed about 9 days after the surgery. Q: What is the difference between the “minimally invasive” axillary odor treatment and the small incision method? A: It has always been the direction of our plastic surgeons to use a very small incision to cure axillary odor, but please think about how to combine these two contradictory things to achieve the best results. Nowadays, many armpit odor surgeries only emphasize the guarantee of eliminating the root, regardless of the scar left behind. But in fact, no matter how large the incision is, there is no guarantee that the sweat glands in the armpit will be completely removed. Minimally invasive aspiration surgery, with small incisions and hidden scars, is a quick recovery procedure. However, it can also significantly reduce the symptoms and odor of the patient, even if there are some residuals, and can further improve the quality of life by maintaining personal hygiene and topical medication. In fact, the severity of axillary odor in many patients is not so severe that a 4cm skin incision must be made to improve it. Because the scars of armpit surgery are with you for life and cannot be completely eliminated, the incision must be done carefully! So what I say to my patients is: I am trying to minimize the incision to reduce the trauma based on the desire to cure the armpit odor. Since we have come to surgery, we remove as many sweat glands in the armpit as possible through a 7mm-8mm skin incision at one time, paying the least cost and getting the most benefit. Of course, some patients have concerns about underarm scars, so they can opt for Botox injections. If you don’t want to get an injection, you can opt for a minimally invasive aspiration treatment, which generally has a residual sweat gland rate of 20%-30%, but the scar is hidden and the armpit hair can grow normally, so it’s not easy for people to see it. Personally, I believe that minimally invasive negative pressure aspiration is the procedure with the highest sweat gland removal rate/incision length ratio. This procedure is highly recommended especially for unmarried young female patients. It is the best way to significantly reduce armpit odor without leaving obvious traces, which will not bring unnecessary worries for future life. Patients who choose the small incision radical surgery should be prepared for the lifelong, visible presence of the axillary incision scars and the long recovery process.