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

Thursday, August 16, 2012

"sympathectomy highlighted the disparity between what is known in practice and what appears in the literature"


The March 2004 edition was quite outstanding, with an excellent editorial reminding the reader that only good results are published. The review on thoracoscopic sympathectomy highlighted the disparity between what is known in practice and what appears in the literature. 
‘Know Your Results’, the topic of the ASGBI Annual Scientific Meeting, is of outstanding importance; what is more, the surgeon has to go on knowing his/her results to ensure standards of practice do not slip.
The Journal appreciates comments and criticism and the correspondence column remains a crucial part of the BJS in its interaction between editors and reader. It is also part of the scientific process.
A more robust and incisive criticism of articles known to be flawed would prevent the retractions that have recently been published in the Lancet.
Christopher Russell, Chairman, BJS Society
Association of Surgeons of Great Britain and Ireland, ANNUAL REPORT 2004