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, January 12, 2013

Bradycardia might occur secondary to unopposed vagal tone from a high sympathectomy

Bradycardia might occur secondary to unopposed vagal tone from a high sympathectomy, blockade of the cardio-accelerator fibers (T1-T4), and the Bezold-Jarisch reflex (slowing of the heart rate secondary to decreased venous return). Patients with underlying increased vagal tone (children and adults with resting heart rates < 60) are at an increased risk.

Anesthesia Secrets, 4th Edition by James Duke, 
Elsevier Health Sciences16/03/2010 - 574 pages