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

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Surgeons should be aware of adverse effects such as bradycardia

The heart rate and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly after T2-T3 ganglionectomy.
A prolonged QT interval was also recorded (p<> 0.05). The decrease was significant in the sympathectomy group.
Our study also, it was revealed that sympathectomy significantly prolonged the QT interval.

Surgeons should be aware of adverse effects such as bradycardia during thoracic sympathectomy. This study suggested that careful monitoring was required during thoracic sympathectomy and early postoperative period.


Orhan YÜCEL, MD
GATA, Department of
Thoracic Surgery, Ankara,
TÜRKİYE/TURKEY