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

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Sympathectomy in the treatment on Long QT syndrome

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) biomedical science lecturer has returned home after performing life-saving surgery in China.

Dr Lexin Wang, who was attending the first international conference on Long QT syndromes in Beijing, worked side-by-side with thoracic surgeons from Taiwan and Peking universities to perform a sympathectomy on four patients with life-threatening Long QT syndrome – the first operation of its kind in the world.

Dr Wang said the heart condition can often go unnoticed and is more prevalent in children, with frequent blackouts a symptom. The operations were broadcast live to the conference and featured in two major national Chinese newspapers.

“One of the patients was only six years old with frequent blackouts weeks before the surgery – none have been reported four weeks after the operation,” Dr Wang said.

“We have seen an immediate reversal of electrocardiogram (ECG) abnormalities. It’s a huge progression in the overall treatment and management of this condition.”