Holter changes resulting from right-sided and bilateral infrastellate upper thoracic sympathectomy

RESULTS: Heart rate was 77 +/- 8 beats per minute before surgery on the 24-hour recording and significantly decreased after bilateral (67.8 +/- 6.5 beats per minute; p < 0.05) but not after unilateral right sympathectomy. Consistently spectral analysis variables significantly changed after bilateral surgery but showed no right-sided dominance. Little effect of sympathectomy was found on the QT interval, which tended to decrease after bilateral sympathectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Patients should be informed of the bradycardia resulting from sympathectomy.

Ann Thorac Surg. 2002 Dec ;74 (6):2076-81 12643398
Pierre Abraham, Jean Berthelot, Jacques Victor, Jean-Louis Saumet, Jean Picquet, Bernard Enon Department of Vascular Investigation and Sports Medicine, University Hospital, Angers, France