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

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Symptoms became worse after bilateral sympathectomy

In an attempt to control his hypertension, bilateral syrnpathectomy was performed in 1968. Following this procedure, the patient's hypertension improved, but his symptoms exacerbated. His lassitude and dyspnea on exertion increased and, in addition, he had frequent episodes of angina pectoris. He also complained of severe palpitations and dizziness during physical activity. It is noteworthy that following the initial episode of chest pain in 1984, the patient had been free of any form of chest discomfort until after the sympathectomy.

The history of this patient seems particularly noteworthy in that his symptoms became worse after bilateral sympathectomy and subsequent improvement in the control of his hypertension. When the blood pressure became lower, the dyspnea on exertion worsened, angina pectoris appeared and dizziness on physical activity was noted for the first time.
DOI 10.1378/chest.57.1.87 1970;57;87-90
Chest
Eduardo Moreyra, Pieter Knibbe and Albert N. Brest
Hypertension and Muscular Subaortic Stenosis