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, March 15, 2010

The effect of cervical sympathectomy on retinal vessel responses to systemic autonomic stimulation

The retinal vessel calibre responses to systemic sympathetic stimulation, were studied in nine patients (eight male; mean age: 31.7 years; range: 19-58 years) with unilateral disruption of their cervical sympathetic tract. All patients had ipsilateral decreased/absent facial sweating and a Horners syndrome, evidence of unilateral sympathetic denervation. Both eyes of each patient were studied and the results were analysed in two groups: the group of nine sympathectomised eyes and the control group of unaffected fellow eyes. During handgrip contraction there was a significant difference in the mean retinal arteriolar constriction (mean +/- SEM) between the group of sympathectomised eyes (4.6 +/- 0.89%) and control eyes (7.1 +/- 1.13%), p less than 0.01. Similarly, there was a significant difference in mean venule constriction during sustained handgrip contraction between the group of sympathectomised eyes (1.5 +/- 0.67%) and control eyes (4.9 +/- 0.98%), p less than 0.05.

Eye (Lond). 1990;4 ( Pt 1):181-9.

PMID: 2323469 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]