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

Saturday, July 23, 2011

The indications for neurolytic or surgical sympathectomy are uncertain

The indications for neurolytic or surgical sympathectomy are uncertain. There is no clear correlation between the degree or duration of pain relief and the actual period of sympathetic blockade and the same patient may show variable responses on different occasionsv (Loh et al 1980). Some patients demonstrate unexpected responses such as contralateral or delayed blocks and some are made worse (Purcell-Jones &Justins 1988, Evans et al 1980, Kleiman 1954)
http://www.springerlink.com/content/7013w45630522h6k/
and
http://ceaccp.oxfordjournals.org/content/10/3/88.full