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

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

diminution of the myocardial concentration of epinephrine

It is known that sympathectomy is followed by a marked diminution of the myocardial concentration of epinephrine-like catechols.
Raab, W., and Lepeschkin, E.: Biochemical Versus
Hemodynamic Factors in the Origin of Hyperten-
sive Heart Disease. Acta med. Scandinav. 138:
81 (June), 1950.