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

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Perioperative risks are low, but complications can be devastating

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) involves division of the thoracic sympathetic chain between T2 and T4.
The main indication for ETS is the treatment of palmar hyperhidrosis.
The most common method of anaesthesia for ETS uses intermittent positive pressure ventilation via a standard tracheal tube.
Perioperative risks are low, but complications can be devastating.
Postoperative compensatory sweating occurs in almost 50% of patients.