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, August 31, 2010

The anterior rami of the spinal nerves between the C4 and T2 innervate the skin of the upper limb

The area of skin supplied by one spinal nerve is known as dermatome. A knowledge of segmental innervation of the skin enables one to determine the level of injury to the spinal cord. It is also essential in the conduction and interpretation of the physical examination of a patient.
A lesion of a spinal nerve manifests itself as a motor or sensory disturbance along it's distribution.

Human Anatomy:Volume I: Upper Limb And Thorax, 2008