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

Monday, October 26, 2009

Alteration in 'fight-or-flight response following sympathectomy

Mental arithmetic produces a psychophysiological arousal similar to the so-called defence-alarm reaction elicited by stimulation ofthe hypothalamic defence area in experimental animals (Folkow, 1982). This reaction pattern is characterized by increased heart rate, cardiac output and blood pressure, whereas total peripheral resistance is unchanged or decreased (Brod, 1970).

The increase of platelet concentration during psychological arousal is also in accordance with what has been observed in response to other stressors, i.e. physical exercise and adrenaline infusion (Sarajas et al, 1961; Gjerloff Schmidt & Waever Rasmussen, 1984; Dawson & Ogston, 1969; Vilen et al, 1980).

The emotional leucocytosis observed in dogs has been claimed to be neurogenic in origin, since sympathectomy abolished the rise in leucocyte count (Garrey & Bryan, 193 5).
Both alpha- and beta-receptors seem to be of importance in the mobilization of lymphocytes (Gader & Cash, 1975).

British Journal of Haematology. 1989. 71, 153-1 56