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, September 11, 2008

Postsurgery, severe compensatory sweating was experienced in 90% of patients

Video-assisted Transthoracic Sympathectomy in the Treatment of Primary Hyperhidrosis: Friend or Foe?

Main outcome measures included the incidence of dry hands, compensatory sweating, chest pain, upper-limb muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and gustatory phenomena; in addition, patient perception of the success of the surgical procedure was assessed.

Postsurgery, severe compensatory sweating was experienced in 90% of patients.

Because the occurrence of severe compensatory sweating is unpredictable, a reversible sympathectomy may be desirable.

Surgical Laparoscopy, Endoscopy & Percutaneous Techniques. 10(4):226-229, August 2000.
Fredman, Brian MB BCh; Zohar, Edna MD; Shachor, Dov MD; Bendahan, Jose MD; Jedeikin, Robert BSc, MB, ChB, FFA(SA)