In order to investigate the effect of sympathectomy, pulmonary function was compared before and four weeks after operation in 20 patients. Forced vital capacity (FVC) (-2.3%), forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) (-6.1%), and FEV1/FVC (-4.6%) were all slightly but significantly decreased four weeks after thoracoscopic sympathectomy. Also the instantaneous forced expiratory flow at 75%, 50% and 25% of the FVC (Vmax 25, Vmax 50, Vmax75) in flow-volume curves were decreased (-1.6%, 8.4%, and -20% respectively). Therefore, thoracoscopic sympathectomy minimises pulmonary restrictive effects but allows subclinical small airway obstructive effects to become more evident.
TSENG Ming-Yuan (1) ; TSENG Jen-Ho (1) ;
(1) Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Medical School and Hospital, National Taiwan University, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei, TAIWAN, PROVINCE DE CHINE
Journal of clinical neuroscience ISSN 0967-5868
2001, vol. 8, no6, pp. 539-541 (29 ref.)