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, February 21, 2008

U.S. Government Studies the Neurocardiologic Dysfunction of Sympathectomy Patients

I participated in the study in November, 2004. For five days I underwent a battery of tests, including PET scans, drug tests, sweat tests, a tilt-table test, EKG, and a lumbar puncture (spinal tap). Conclusions:

1. Partial cardiac denervation as a result of bilateral thoracic sympathectomies.

2. Complete absence of blood vessel constriction in the arms, as expected in thoracic sympathectomy.

3. Complete loss of sympathetic innervation to the thyroid.

4. Abnormal catecholamine levels in the spinal fluid.

Bear in mind that these researchers are only looking at a few of the many aspects of ETS dysfunction.

http://www.truthaboutets.com/Pages/NIH.html

NIH Book: Sympathectomy is "Neurocardiologic Disorder"

Senior Clinical Investigator David S. Goldstein, M.D. Ph.D., calls ETS "surgically induced autonomic failure". learn more