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

Monday, March 24, 2008

Sympathectomy generates a mild, although significant, impairment of the bronchomotor tone

Gonzalez, Miguel A. Ponce MD a; Serda, Gabriel Julia MD a; Rodriguez, Norberto Santana MD b; Suarez, Pedro Rodriguez MD b; Penate, Gregorio Perez MD a; Gilart, Jordi Freixinet MD b; Navarro, Pedro Cabrera MD a

(a)Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr Negrin, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
(b)Department of Thoracic Surgery, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr Negrin, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Title
Long-term pulmonary function after thoracic sympathectomy.[Miscellaneous Article]
Source
Journal of Thoracic & Cardiovascular Surgery. 129(6):1379-1382, June 2005.
Abstract
Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term and midterm effects of thoracic sympathectomy on pulmonary function and to assess the influence of the sympathetic nervous system on bronchomotor tone.
We conclude that thoracic sympathectomy generates a mild, although significant, impairment of the bronchomotor tone.