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, February 5, 2008

ETS for blushing?!

Those with blushing problems are often desperate to find a cure for their excessive blushing. Many people are turning to a medical treatment called Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy, frequently referred to simply as ETS, for help with their problem blushing. At first glance, ETS seems like a miracle treatment for problem blushers. Those who market and perform ETS tout the procedure as a an almost guaranteed cure to excessive blushing. For people who have invested time and money in numerous treatments such as hypnosis, cognitive behaviour therapy, and numerous potions and pills, the thought of being done with problem blushing once and for all is certainly an appealing one. However, upon further investigation, the risks and side effects of ETS seem quite consequential. Before anyone decides to pursue ETS as potential medical intervention for problem blushing, he or she certainly needs to thoroughly research all aspects of the procedure. Since blushing is triggered by the nervous system, ETS actually impacts the nerves. The procedure literally involves either clamping off or cutting the nerves responsible for the blushing reaction. While problem blushing is a serious problem for people who experience it, deliberately damaging nerves as part of a medical procedure to cure blushing is certainly not something to be taken lightly. Nerve damage is permanent and irreversible, so those who are considering the procedure must be sure they understand exactly what they are doing, and have a clear picture of the potential side effects and consequences. The nerves in the human body are all interconnected, so it is not possible to deliberately damage specific nerves without impacting other nerves in the body as well. Therefore, there are a number of side effects that people who undergo ETS can expect to experience. The nervous system is very complex, and ETS can trigger both hyper sensitive nerves in some parts of the body and nerves that are completely desensitized in other parts of the body. Additional side effects can include decreased lung capacity, decreased stamina, trouble with regulation of body temperature, and compensatory hyperhidrosis.
http://www.theinformationservice.com/index.php?option=com_a3000&task=showarticle&id=77413