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

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Hyperglycemic responses attenuated by sympathectomy

Hyperglycemic responses to CDP-choline, choline, cytidine monophosphate and cytidine were not affected by chemical sympathectomy, but were prevented by bilateral adrenalectomy. Phosphocholine-induced hyperglycemia was attenuated by bilateral adrenalectomy or by chemical sympathectomy. These data show that CDP-choline and its metabolites induce hyperglycemia which is mediated by activation of ganglionic nicotinic receptors and stimulation of catecholamine release that subsequently activates agr2-adrenoceptors.
Archives Of Physiology And Biochemistry, Volume 113, Issue 4 & 5 October 2007 , pages 186 - 201 First Published on: 03 October 2007

Reactions to drugs after sympathectomy

Antihypertensive effects of thiazide diuretics may be enhanced in patients with a sympathectomy.
p.262

Handbook of Drug Interactions: A Clinical and Forensic Guide
By Ashraf Mozayani
Edition: illustrated
Published by Humana Press, 2004
ISBN 1588292118, 9781588292117
663 pages

Causes of male infertility

Sympatholytic drugs or sympathectomy - p. 662

Endocrinology & metabolism
By Philip Felig, Lawrence A. Frohman
Edition: 4, illustrated
Published by McGraw-Hill Professional, 2001
ISBN 0070220018, 9780070220010
1562 pages

Bilateral thoracoscopic cervical sympathectomy for the treatment of recurrent polymorphic ventricular tachycardia

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of prolonged cardiac repolarisation, manifest by a prolonged QT interval and characterised by recurrent presyncope/syncope, polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (PMVT), or sudden cardiac death.
She was ultimately treated successfully with bilateral thoracoscopic cervicothoracic sympathectomies. This is the first reported bilateral thoracoscopic treatment of a patient with LQTS and symptomatic life threatening ventricular tachyarrhythmias refractory to current pharmacological and pacing techniques.
Heart 2005;91:15-17
© 2005 by BMJ Publishing Group & British Cardiac Society

ETS reduces anxiety. Is it a psychosurgery?

The results of STAI showed significant improvement in the levels of anxiety after surgery compared with the preoperative levels and with established norms (p <>Conclusions: Patients with primary hyperhidrosis that undergo EBTS presented a decrease in the level of anxiety and associated symptoms.

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2006;30:228-231
© 2006 Elsevier Science NL