Dangerous complications of sympathectomy reported

Endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS), a procedure used to correct palmar hyperhidrosis, facial sweating and blushing, can be accompanied by dangerous complications, according to a Feb 5, 2004, news release from John Wiley & Sons, Inc, publisher of the British Journal of surgery.

Complications of procedure to correct sweating reported. | Goliath Business News

"Lifestyle' Surgical Procedure Carries Unrecognized Risk of Complications" (news release, Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc, British Journal of Surgery, Feb 5, 2004)

Left, but not right, one-lung ventilation causes hypoxemia during endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy

Endoscopic transthoracic sympathectomy was
performed under general anesthesia, using a double-lumen endobronchial
tube, after induction of artificial pneumothorax plus insufflation of CO2 into
the operated chest. Via radial artery cannulae, one to three arterial blood
gas samples were taken during two-lung ventilation before surgery, at each
one-lung ventilation, in most cases during the period of two-lung ventilation
when switching between the operated sides, and after surgery.
Left-lung ventilation and right-chest operation caused profound decrease of arterial oxygen partial
pressure (PaO2), compared with two-lung ventilation.


J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. 1996 Feb;10(2):207-9.