The amount of compensatory sweating depends on the patient, the damage that the white rami communicans incurs, and the amount of cell body reorganization in the spinal cord after surgery.
Other potential complications include inadequate resection of the ganglia, gustatory sweating, pneumothorax, cardiac dysfunction, post-operative pain, and finally Horner’s syndrome secondary to resection of the stellate ganglion.
www.ubcmj.com/pdf/ubcmj_2_1_2010_24-29.pdf

After severing the cervical sympathetic trunk, the cells of the cervical sympathetic ganglion undergo transneuronic degeneration
After severing the sympathetic trunk, the cells of its origin undergo complete disintegration within a year.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0442.1967.tb00255.x/abstract

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Cerebral ischemia may increase extracellular choline concentration by interfering with its removal by the circulation and by enhancing its net production from phospholipids.

Focal ischemia enhances choline output and decreases acetylcholine output from rat cerebral cortex

OU Scremin and DJ Jenden
Veterans Administration Medical Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87108.

Stroke, Vol 20, 92-95, Copyright © 1989 by American Heart Association

Mia: these changes are present in post-sympathectomy patients as well, providing further proof on cerebral ischemia (Brain MRI) that causes the cognitive function changes in many patients who undergo the surgery.