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, March 11, 2008

Interruption of sensory fibres

Cutaneous innervation in man before and after lumbar sympathectomy: evidence for interruption of both sensory and vasomotor nerve fibres.

Coventry BJ, Walsh JA
Department of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Rest pain and severe ischaemia in patients who are unable to be offered (further) surgery to revascularize the lower limb is still problematic. Lumbar sympathectomy has been used for many years but the mechanisms by which this works are not absolutely clear. Both sensory and vasomotor fibres travel in the lumbar sympathetic chain and the effects of lumbar sympathectomy on these nerve types have been investigated in the present paper. METHODS: Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect neuropeptides contained in sensory and vasomotor nerves in the lower limb skin of (i) patients having amputations for peripheral vascular disease (PVD) after previous (chemical or surgical) sympathectomy; (ii) patients having amputations for PVD without previous (chemical or surgical) sympathectomy; and in control normal skin. The three groups are compared and the results are discussed. RESULTS: Normal and PVD controls had intact sensory and vasomotor nerves around dermal cutaneous blood vessels, but these were completely or virtually completely lost after lumbar sympathectomy, by either chemical or surgical means. CONCLUSIONS: Lumbar sympathectomy severs both vasomotor and sensory fibres, suggesting that relief of rest pain may be explained not only by increased cutaneous and muscle blood flow, but also by nociceptive sensory denervation.

ANZ journal of surgery. (2003)
PMID: 12534731
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changes in intraocular bloodflow following sympathectomy

Control of intraocular blood flow.

Key words: sympathectomy, sympathetic stimulation, intraocular blood flow,. nuclide-labeled microspheres, sympathetic vasomotor tone. ...
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Sympathectomy for Erythromelalgia

Yuki Nakajima1 Contact Information, Kiyoshi Koizumi1, Tomomi Hirata1, Kyoji Hirai1, Atsuhiro Sakamoto1 and Kazuo Shimizu1
(1) Department of Surgery II, Nippon Medical School, 1-1-5 Sendagi, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8603 Tokyo, Japan
Received: 19 January 2004 Accepted: 8 July 2004
Abstract Erythromelalgia is known as a rare syndrome of unknown etiology, characterized by redness with burning pain, edema associated with increased skin temperature in the upper and/or lower extremities. Various treatments such as drug therapies and sympathetic blockade were reported. We report two cases including a 57-year-old woman and a 64-year-old woman, showing the successful clinical outcome by bilateral thoracoscopic sympathectomy.


The patient did not respond to pharmacological therapy or surgical sympathectomy.
http://www.jmedicalcasereports.com/content/3/1/106

Changes in the internal ear following sympathectomy

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experiments have been either pericarotid sympathectomy or. injections of vasomotor drugs (stimulators or inhibitors of the ...
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Thoracoscopic sympathectomy in the management of vasomotor ...

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Sympathectomy severs both vasomotor and sensory fibres

Sympathectomy: sympathectomy severs both vasomotor and sensory fibres

CUTANEOUS INNERVATION IN MAN BEFORE AND AFTER LUMBAR SYMPATHECTOMY:EVIDENCE FOR INTERRUPTION OF BOTH SENSORY AND VASOMOTOR NERVE FIBRES. 
ORIGINAL ARTICLES
ANZ Journal of Surgery. 73(1-2):14-18, January 2003.
COVENTRY, BRENDON J. BM BS, PhD, FRACS *; WALSH, JOHN A. MD, FRACS +
Abstract:
Background: Rest pain and severe ischaemia in patients who are unable to be offered (further) surgery to revascularize the lower limb is still problematic. Lumbar sympathectomy has been used for many years but the mechanisms by which this works are not absolutely clear. Both sensory and vasomotor fibres travel in the lumbar sympathetic chain and the effects of lumbar sympathectomy on these nerve types have been investigated in the present paper.
Methods: Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect neuropeptides contained in sensory and vasomotor nerves in the lower limb skin of (i) patients having amputations for peripheral vascular disease (PVD) after previous (chemical or surgical) sympathectomy; (ii) patients having amputations for PVD without previous (chemical or surgical) sympathectomy; and in control normal skin. The three groups are compared and the results are discussed.
Results: Normal and PVD controls had intact sensory and vasomotor nerves around dermal cutaneous blood vessels, but these were completely or virtually completely lost after lumbar sympathectomy, by either chemical or surgical means.
Conclusions: Lumbar sympathectomy severs both vasomotor and sensory fibres, suggesting that relief of rest pain may be explained not only by increased cutaneous and muscle blood flow, but also by nociceptive sensory denervation.

THE EFFECT OF SYMPATHECTOMY ON THE VASOMOTOR, CAROTID SINUS ...

SYMPATHECTOMY. AND. VASOMOTOR. CAROTID. SINUS. REFLEXES. 201. systemic pressure fell an average of 39.2 mm. of mercury in 31 trials; on ...
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