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, July 24, 2010

Sympathectomy considered a last resort or end-of-the-road treatment

Surgical sympathectomy has been advocated for patients who do not get permanent pain relief from blocks and is somewhat of a last resort or end-of-the-road treatment. (p.469)

Skeletal trauma: basic science, management, and reconstruction, Volume 1

Elsevier Health Sciences, 2003 - 2768 pages
By Bruce D. Browner